Ghost In the Machine
by Sorata Shioya
Summary: The players of SAO heard of the legendary Black Swordsman and feared him. However, there was an even more frightening entity in the world. Nobody knows where he came from, what he really looks like aside from his blue hair or even what his abilities are. The blue-haired 'Ghost in the Machine' is not a player, not an NPC, and not to be trifled with.
1. Like a Dream Come True

**Ghost In the Machine**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Like a Dream Come True**

* * *

**March 5th, 2010**  
**Tatsumi Memorial Hospital**

* * *

"We made it in time. His heart beat was dropping fast."

"..."

"You may relax a little, Aigis. He isn't dead because you saved him."

"I know... If I didn't notice it sooner, Min... Minato might have-"

"But you noticed him not breathing and checked his pulse. Minato is safe now Aigis."

"Mitsuru-san... You also assisted Minato."

"The Kirijo Group's vast resources are nothing compared to the life of a friend. Minato's brain was failing, causing his other body functions to cease. In order to prevent his possible death, I had the Kirijo Group's best doctors and scientists analyze him and they immediately preserved his body via cryogenics. Unfortunately... Minato has fallen into a coma; at the very least, he's still alive."

In Tatsumi Memorial Hospital, on the top floor, was a room packed with various technological machines and in the center of the room was a large tube with Minato in it. Kirijo Mitsuru, head of the Kirijo Group, was standing in front of it with Aigis, the 7th Generation Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon and who Minato cared the most, who was standing to her right with a funereal look on her face.

"There must be something we can do Mitsuru-san! We can't just leave Minato like this!"

"I'm doing the best as I can with the Kirijo Group. However, even the Kirijo Group's scientists and doctors are at a loss. We may have to enlist some assistance from outside of the group."

"I... see," Aigis said solemnly.

"Kirijo-san! Kirijo-san!" A voice shouted from outside Minato's room.

"Yes?" Mitsuru asked. "Please, come in."

A man in a white coat then entered the room, presumably another scientist.

"If I may, Kirijo-san," the man said, "I believe we found a prospective candidate for your situation."

"Is that so?" Mitsuru replied. "Who is it?"

"A boy. About 14. His name is Kayaba Akihiko," the man answered. Mitsuru raised an eyebrow in doubt that a 14 year old could make a difference.

"He is that young?" Mitsuru asked. "He must be quite the prodigy."

"Indeed, Kirijo-san. His IQ is well over 150 and I have no doubt that he can assist you should you hire him."

"As of now," Mitsuru said, "we need all the help we can get. Have Kayaba-san meet me tomorrow in this hospital."

"Right away Kirijo-san!" the man obeyed and left to contact the young boy.

"...Even with Kayaba-san," Mitsuru began, "I'm not sure how long the process may take. It could be years before-"

"It is alright," Aigis stated. "As long as Minato can return, I do not care how long it may take. Within the next few years, however, I do hope Minato is back by then."

Mitsuru then placed her right hand on Aigis' left shoulder. "So do I Aigis." She then gave a sad smile while glancing at Minato in the tube.

"So do I..."

* * *

**March 6th, 2010**  
**Tatsumi Memorial Hospital**

* * *

A young man with short, light brown hair arrived in front of Tatsumi Memorial Hospital in the afternoon, wondering about why the Kirijo Group contacted him. For a grand mega-corporation to come in contact with him, he hoped it was something good.

'I hope I'm not on their naughty list,' Kayaba thought.

Kayaba then entered the hospital and saw a stern looking man in a black suit and black shades standing in the lobby by the entrance.

"Kayaba Akihiko?" the man questioned.

"Yes? That is me." Kayaba replied.

"Please, follow me," the man insisted.

The two then walked through the halls of and entered an elevator. The elevator carried them to the highest floor of the hospital and the man led Kayaba to a room farther away from most of the other rooms on the floor.

"Enter here."

Kayaba nodded and entered the room. When he entered, he saw a vast amount of technology surrounding the walls of the room along with a red-headed woman with her arms crossed, standing in the direction opposite from the entrance. What really caught his attention was a figure encased in a rather large tube at the center of the room.

"Kayaba Akihiko?" Mitsuru questioned while turning around to see his face.

"Yes," Kayaba replied. Mitsuru then stretched out her right hand to him.

"Kirijo Mitsuru, head of the Kirijo Group."

"It is an honor, Kirijo-sama," Kayaba answered while shaking Mitsuru's hand.

"I have a proposition, no, a request Kayaba-san."

"Does it have anything to do with whoever is in the pod?"

"Yes. He's... a good friend of mine. He fell into a coma and with our current technology and staff in the Kirijo Group, and we do not have the means to awaken him. I would like hire you as a researcher and assist us with his recovery. Of course, you will be compensated greatly."

Kayaba's eyes widened at his proposal. He knew how big the Kirijo Group's influence and resources are. If he took the offer, he would be set for life with all the money and luxuries of working with the Kirijo Group!

"That's a very generous offer, Kirijo-sama," he said. "And I will accept it full heartedly."

Mitsuru smiled. "Thank you Kayaba-san. The Kirijo Group will provide as many resources as possible for your work."

"When may I start?" Kayaba asked. He considered himself adept when it comes to technology and was intelligent in other subjects such as what his new job consists of. He was also curious about who the person in the pod is and how he fell into a coma.

"Right now if you want," Mitsuru replied. "Your patient is Arisato Minato, a 17 year old high school student."

"How did he fall into a coma?" Kayaba inquired.

"Minato's brain started to fail suddenly yesterday, and that in turn caused his other body functions to stop working. The only way we could have saved him from death was to secure him like this."

"I see. I believe we need a method to boost Minato's brain waves back to normal. Does the Kirijo Group have such technology?"

"Sadly, no," Mitsuru answered. "At least, not at the moment. Do you believe you can develop a method to raise Minato's brain waves back to normal? Again, the Kirijo Group will fund your research."

"Perhaps," Kayaba answered. "I may have an idea, but I think I need to expand my knowledge before I perform any actual hypothesizes or tests. I am still a 14 year old."

Mitsuru smiled sadly at the honest truth. "I understand. The Kirijo Group will assist you in advancing your studies as well Kayaba-san."

"You're too generous Kirijo-sama," Kayaba said while bowing. "I'm not sure how long this will take, but I hope not too long."

"Agreed."

Kayaba gave a small sigh and glanced at Minato. "I guess I better start now."

* * *

**4 years later**

**2014**  
**Tatsumi Memorial Hospital**

* * *

"Hmm... What if... No, that cannot work."

Kayaba Akihiko's progression with Minato advanced slowly over the past four years. With the Kirijo Group's funds, resources, and fellow scientists and doctors, every little bit helped.

He also became heavily interested in a dream he kept having as time passed. A dream about creating a floating castle. Such a thing could never happen in real life without blasting through an immense amount of money. _'But in video games,'_ he thought, _'it can come true.'_ MMO's were one thing with massive amounts of players connecting and interacting with one another through a computer screen, but Kayaba wanted more. He wanted to create a reality in which people can experience things realistically. He wanted to make his floating castle dream come true.

"What if..." Kayaba trailed off. "What if one's consciousness could become immersed in this reality?"

...

He thought of this as a wide grin stretched across his face. This idea would not only fulfill his dream, but it can also apply to Minato as his consciousness is still intact. A "virtual reality" where you can literally take control of your own actions. You control yourself through your consciousness!

While this idea was genius, Minato would probably not come out of this coma though. Unless, whatever technology could insert one's consciousness into a "virtual reality", the technology could also scan people's brain waves. It's possible that Minato could siphon off the brain waves and energy off of each player in the virtual reality. And with the Kirijo Group's funds and resources, this can become very possible.

With these revelations, Kayaba then left Minato's room to consult Mitsuru about the idea.

Kayaba explained his ideas and theories to Mitsuru. She seemed to understand the concepts and listened on as Kayaba continued.

"Can the Kirijo Group do this?" Kayaba asked.

"I believe we can Kayaba-san," Mitsuru replied. "What do you intend to call this project since you're going to lead it?"

Kayaba gave it some thought as he just came up with these ideas. He wanted it to be similar to some MMORPGs that are quite popular among adolescents and young adults. After awhile, he finally had an answer.

"Sword Art Online."

* * *

**8 years later**

**November 6th, 2022**

* * *

After years of plotting, manufacturing, and the one month beta testing, «Sword Art Online» was finally finished and released to the public. It was the first VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) to be created. The game's world was entirely based off of Kayaba's vision of a "floating castle in the sky" and the castle was called Aincrad. It consisted of 100 floors, filled with towns, various terrains, monsters, quests, and items you'd expect from a typical MMORPG.

Players of the game can finally play through the use of a NerveGear, a helmet with its own battery and internal memory to store data. It has high density microwave transceivers that can scan and analyze one's appearance and brain in order to play the VRMMO. The NerveGear utilized FullDive technology, which is capable of fully immersing one's consciousness in a virtual reality.

Players of the game can also create in-game avatars to play «Sword Art Online». Since Minato was going to be in «SAO» as well, Mitsuru told Kayaba to keep Minato's appearance as his 17 year old self so that he will be more comfortable with the appearance he's used to and not freak out from having growing older due to his coma, to which Kayaba agreed.

As more and more players keep playing the game, Minato's consciousness and avatar will form inside «SAO» as the game was also designed to siphon brain waves off of the players and transmit them to Minato. Eventually, he too will be a part of «SAO».

All of these accomplishments couldn't have been possible if it weren't for the Kirijo Group and Kayaba Akihiko.

However, none, not even Mitsuru and the Kirijo Group, could have foreseen what Kayaba had planned for everyone that played «Sword Art Online».

* * *

A/N: Well, this is the first fanfic I have written and published. Sorry for the chapter being short, but I **really** wanted to get some technical stuff out of the way! Now we can move on to some fun stuff hopefully. Give me some feedback with reviews if you want! KingofZeroX gave out this idea and I decided to take it up. Check him out on the site!

Also, I'm thinking about asking questions to you guys who decided to read that relate to this story in a way.

Question: If this story was to have an epic anime opening, what song would you choose?

I personally thought of one, but I would like to hear what others think. So, answer away!


	2. A Stranger I Remain

**Ghost In the Machine**

* * *

**Chapter 2: A Stranger I Remain**

* * *

_"I realized that everyone on this game, including me are alive for the sake of living." - Kirito_

* * *

**November 6th, 2022  
****Tatsumi Memorial Hospital**

* * *

"I want him EXECUTED now!"

"We can't Kirijo-san!" a scientist exclaimed while panicking. "We don't know where he is, and we don't know what will happen to the players of «Sword Art Online» if we do anything rash."

"...Damn it... He had to trap Minato's subconscious too... Why!?" Mitsuru shrieked.

Along with Mitsuru, Aigis was near Minato's cryogenic pod, his head now sporting a NerveGear.

"Minato..." Aigis whispered with tears in her eyes.

* * *

**2022-2024**

* * *

Two years. Almost two years had passed since the launch of «Sword Art Online». Kayaba Akihiko, the Game Master of «SAO», had successfully trapped nearly 10,000 players in the game. They couldn't log out of it. They were trapped.

But what was really depressing was that if a player's HP bar hit zero, you die not only in «SAO», but you also die in real life. When one dies in the game, the microwave transceivers in their NerveGear receives signals that then fry one's brain, effectively killing them.

Unfortunately, 213 players were killed when their friends and family attempted to free them by taking off the NerveGear. The first in-game death in «SAO» was a player claiming that they would regain consciousness after being disconnected by the server by jumping off of Aincrad. Well, that player was wrong. In only the first month of being snared, 2000 players had died and 1st Floor of Aincrad had yet to be cleared. The numbers only got worse from there. After two years, around 4000 players had died in the game.

However, all has not been lost in this death game. There are players that continue to work together in order to clear all 100 floors to free everyone. Kayaba Akihiko had challenged them to clear those floors. Everyone hoped that he would honor his word.

After some players banded together to defeat the 1st boss, «Illfang the Kobold Lord», people had gained some hope and ventured further into «SAO».

However, after some time had passed since the 1st Floor's clearing, the next floors began to be cleared at an alarming rate. Players had assumed that the «Beaters» finally joined forces to defeat the bosses of each floor.

It wasn't the truth though.

Players, parties, and guilds that were part of the front line had no idea who was wiping out the bosses. There were rumors floating around that people saw a lone person entering the boss areas. What was really perplexing was that the person was supposedly a ghost. When people went to check out the areas, the bosses were already eliminated. As more floors were cleared, it only increased their confusion. A few later claimed to have seen someone with dark blue hair near the areas. No one knew who this individual was, except that they were clearing floors. And fast. Because of their reputation for not being seen, this individual had effectively earned the nickname, "Ghost In the Machine."

* * *

**October 25th, 2024  
****Aincrad: 22nd Floor**

* * *

The 22nd Floor of Aincrad. A floor that flourished with nature despite it just being virtual. It consisted of many grassy plains, clear lakes, and lush forests. The terrain was mountainous and hilly with various areas of the floor connected via wooden walkways that were raised. In the middle of the floor was a spacious lake that was one kilometer in diameter. It was a very popular spot for fishing among players.

Around the southwestern edge of the floor was a lone log cabin. The log cabin had been vacant up until the previous day. Players of «SAO» could buy homes at the expense of in-game money. The prices of purchasable homes ranged depending mainly on quality. Some couldn't be purchased until one had to finish a specific quest that would unlock the option to buy a home. This log cabin was an example. To purchase the home, a player would have to complete the «Witch of the West and the Three Treasures» quest. Said quest had been completed by two players who now occupy the log cabin.

It was early in the morning. The sun shined brightly as it rose in the sky. The log cabin in the southwest housed two players who were now permanent residents of it. One of the players was already awake, while the continued to sleep peacefully with his mouth slightly open. The awakened player stared at her bedmate sleeping with a loving smile on her face.

"Kirito-kun~"

"Zzzzzzz..."

"Kirito~"

"...Hmm?" a rather feminine-looking boy with black hair muttered.

"Geez, you can't be that tired from yesterday my husband," a girl with orange-brownish chestnut hair claimed.

"Sorry Asuna," Kirito apologized. "I just had a really good dream."

"What was it about?" Asuna questioned.

"The two of us," Kirito said with a smile. Asuna blushed deeply after hearing the statement.

"K-Kirito!" Asuna exclaimed while playfully slapping Kirito's arm.

"Haha. It's the truth, my loving wife."

Asuna smiled when she heard that. It warmed her heart hearing Kirito say that. All the time they spent together in «SAO» was really special between them. The happiest moment of their lives was achieved yesterday when Kirito proposed to Asuna for her hand in marriage, to which she gladly accepted. The two of them were such lovebirds it could make any guy or girl jealous because of how attractive the two were. Their friend, Klein, was a player that could see the connection between them.

"Ah!" Asuna suddenly shouted.

"What is it?" Kirito asked. "Is there something wrong?"

"We haven't gone on our honeymoon yet!" she exclaimed.

"...Haha! That's it?" Kirito laughed, making Asuna glare at him. Kirito then quickly clammed up. "Wh-what I mean to say is that we can have it tonight! I mean, we were pretty tired last night after finishing that quest."

"Yeah, I suppose that's true," Asuna said, forgetting Kirito's inappropriate reaction. "All we did last night was buy our house and then we went to sleep. How about spending it here, in our new home?"

"That sounds great Asuna," Kirito said.

"What would you like for dinner tonight?" Asuna asked. Kirito then gave a cute smile, thinking about Asuna's incredibly good cooking due to her high cooking skills. Kirito started to drool just thinking about it, but he quickly came back to his senses.

"Hmm... How about some fish? I could go to the lake in the middle of this floor and fish for something."

"Fish? Ok. But is your fishing skill good, Kirito?" Asuna asked.

Kirito sweat dropped. "Ehh... I'll improve it today."

* * *

"Alright, I'm off!"

"Good luck Kirito! I'll be waiting," Asuna said while waving happily to Kirito.

Kirito nodded while holding a fishing rod over his shoulder and opened his home's door, looking out at blue sky of Aincrad with a smile on his face. Taking a deep breath of the air around him, Kirito then began walking to the lake to get some fis-

"Ahhh!"

Kirito then fell over only after taking a few steps. "What the heck?"

Kirito's eyes widened. From where he tripped, he saw a body. It was someone with long, dark blue hair that nearly stretched to their chin. He was wearing clothes that looked too foreign to be any armor Kirito had seen in «SAO». It seemed like clothes from the real world if Kirito had to guess. The person was lying face down on the ground and didn't seem to be moving at all.

"Hey!" Kirito said while closing the distance between him and this person. "Are you alright!?"

Kirito was shaking the person to get a response from them. Kirito began to wonder if this person was just sleeping and decided to sleep in front of his house. He searched for the person's HP bar to see how many hit points was remaining and to see who this person's name was. However...

There was no HP bar. No name even.

Kirito began to become very confused by this revelation. _'Why don't they have an HP bar? Or a player icon?'_ he thought. _'Is this person an NPC?'_

"Kirito!" a voice shouted from inside Kirito's home, presumably Asuna's. "Is everything ok? I thought I heard-"

Asuna arrived at the doorstep and saw Kirito with his hands on a person lying down on their face. She covered her mouth and gasped. "Who is this?"

"I... I don't know," Kirito answered with doubt. "I don't see an HP bar nor name on this person. No player icon too. I'm not sure if this person is an NPC either."

".ig.."

An almost inaudible sound was muttered. Kirito and Asuna looked at each other with questionable glances and then at the person in front of them.

"Whoever this person is, I think they need help," Kirito said. "Asuna, help me get this person into the house!"

"O-OK!"

Kirito lifted up the person's left arm and carried it over his neck while Asuna did the same thing with the right arm. They finally got a glimpse at the person's face and saw a notably pretty face, but it also had some shades of masculine facial features. He was taller than the two of them as well. This person seemed very exhausted and not conscious.

"Is this a guy?" Asuna asked. "He's cute..."

"Let's go!" Kirito said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"R-right!"

* * *

**March 5th, 2010  
****Gekkoukan High School**

_ Memories of the School _

* * *

_'...'_

_"The wind feels so nice... This is my first time experiencing spring."_

_'...'_

_"But this season will eventually pass..."_

_"After fighting alongside you, and facing the world's end... I finally began to understand... what it means to live..."_

_'I'm... glad.'_

_"Thinking for yourself... Not running away... Accepting the inevitable... All things eventually come to an end... Every living thing will one day disappear... Only by accepting this can one discover what they truly want... What the meaning of their life will be..."_

_'...?'_

_"I understand now why I was so tormented by my lack of strength. Protecting others became more than just an order I had to obey. I wanted to do it for my own reasons... I realized this once I decided to try and prevent the Fall. When I thought I might never see you again, something else became clear to me-what I wanted most."_

_'...'_

_"And so, I made up my mind. I decided that I would continue to protect you. I want to be your strength. I know I'm not the only one who can do this... but that's okay. My life will be worth living if it's for this reason..."_

_'Aigis...'_

_"Thank you..."_

_"Don't cry."_

_"You're right. What am I doing? I understand now, so I should be happy..."_

_"Heyyy!"_

_'Junpei...?'_

_"Everyone..."_

_'Everyone...'_

_"...I realize now that I have friends as well."_

_'Yes... we're all friends...'_

_"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life... Sometimes, all you need is something simple, like someone to care of. I'll keep on living no matter what, so that I can protect you..."_

_'Aigis... I...'_

_"Thank you for everything..."_

_'...'_

_"You must be tired... Please get some rest... I'll stay right here with you..."_

_'...'_

_"Soon, all your friends will be here by your side..."_

_'My friends... Aigis...'_

_'I'm so sorry...'_

* * *

**October 25th, 2022  
****Aincrad: 22nd Floo****r**

* * *

The blue-haired stranger was placed on a couch in Kirito's and Asuna's home. They were sitting across from him and they watched over him to see if he would wake up.

"Hmm..." Asuna muttered while watching the stranger.

"What is it Asuna?" Kirito asked.

"He seems different..." Asuna answered.

"Different? He doesn't have an HP bar or name around him."

"I know that, but the way he sleeps is unlike other «SAO» players. When we sleep, it's like our minds are disconnected from our bodies. We don't talk in our sleep. We're practically dead until we wake up."

"Huh... That is strange..."

Kirito and Asuna then returned to watching the blue-haired stranger. He seemed to be sleeping like a normal person in real life. They're eyes widened when they saw a tear dropping from the boy's right eye.

"A tear? This guy is different..." Kirito said. "Perhaps he's a player that wanted to play «SAO» after the launch date, but something went wrong with his NerveGear. Or a malfunctioning NPC. I'm not sure what to make of this..."

...

"Hey Kirito?"

"Yes Asuna?"

"Doesn't this guy look familiar?"

"No. I've never seen him in «SAO» before."

"I guess not familiar, but haven't you heard of some rumors the past two years?"

"What rumors?" Kirito asked. "I hardly pay attention to gossip in «SAO». Lately it's just random stuff that happens in «SAO»."

Asuna sighed. "I guess that's what I would expect from you. But you must remember what happened after the first boss was cleared, right?"

"Hmm..." Kirito contemplated. "Oh! Bosses we're getting cleared very quickly after that. Nobody knew what people could have done that. That kind of bothered me."

"Yeah that sounds right, but there's more Kirito," Asuna said. "The other floor bosses we're cleared before the members of the front line or us could reach them. Some people near the boss areas claimed to have seen a transparent person entering them. The next thing they know, the next floor was available. This person, they say, had blue hair. They called that person the "Ghost In the Machine."

"Do you think it's this guy?" Kirito asked. "But, he looks and feels tangible to me because we carried him."

"I know, but something about him feels different..."

There was a moment of silence before any of them spoke up again.

"Hey. Kirito..."

"Yes Asuna?"

"Why don't we hold off you going to fish? I'll just make something else. You always love what I cook anyway, right?" Asuna asked with a frightening smile.

Kirito cringed. "Y-yes!" He then sighed. "I guess I'll look after this guy then."

"Ok!" Asuna said. "I'll be in the kitchen then."

Kirito waved to Asuna before she left for the kitchen. He focused his eyes on the blue-haired stranger with a contemplative look in his eyes.

_'Who or what are you?'_

* * *

_"Good morning! Please wake up!"_

"...Aigis?"

"Oh. You're awake now?"

"Huh?"

The blue-haired person had awoken. His eyes opened, revealing their grey color. One was obscured by his bangs. He looked around and saw that he was in a log cabin with some modern furniture. In a chair in front of him was a young black haired boy. It hadn't been too long since he was brought into Kirito's and Asuna's home. Although, Kirito was starting to doze off.

"Are you alright?" Kirito asked.

"Where... where am I?" the blue-haired stranger asked while looking around.

"You're on the 22nd Floor in my home. My wife and I found you out front." Kirito answered.

"The 22nd Floor?" Kirito nodded. _'How did I end up here?'_

"Is something wrong?" Kirito asked.

"Oh nothing," the stranger answered.

Kirito shrugged it off. "May I ask for your name?"

"My name is Arisato Minato," the stranger said, finally having a name.

"You use your full name as a username?" Kirito asked, ignoring the stranger's lack of a name or HP bar in order to get some answers.

Minato shrugged. "I don't mind sharing my name with others."

_'He doesn't seem to be an NPC,'_ Kirito thought

"So, what's your name?"

"You can call me Kirito, Minato."

"Alright then, Kirito," Minato said while stretching out his hand. Kirito extended his hand in kind and shook Minato's.

"Hey Asuna!" Kirito suddenly shouted. "He's awake now!"

"Coming!" a voice from another room was heard.

A little bit later, Minato then saw a pretty young girl enter the room. She took a seat next Kirito and had a happy look on her face.

"Hello," Asuna greeted with a smile.

"Hello," Minato replied with a smile of his own.

"This is Arisato Minato, Asuna," Kirito explained.

"Nice to meet you Minato-kun. I'm Asuna," Asuna said introducing herself. She wasn't too curious as to why someone would use their real name. After all, her username was her first name.

"Likewise Asuna-san."

"So," Asuna began. "How come you were in front of our home Minato-kun?"

"I..." Minato trailed off. "I got tired and fell asleep."

Kirito's eyes narrowed at the statement.

Asuna blinked. "You just fell asleep in front of our home? It's pretty dangerous falling asleep outside of a safe zone. In Aincrad, monsters or players can kill you easily if you left yourself vulnerable."

"Well," Minato began. "I figured that the chances of that happening were slim."

"You're lying," Kirito spoke up. Minato raised an eyebrow. "After two years of being in Aincrad, nobody can be that ignorant. What were you really doing, Minato?"

Minato was slightly taken aback by the accusation, but then he sighed. _'Maybe I can trust these two. They seem very friendly. But for now, I'll play it safe.'_

"Kirito!" Asuna shouted. "You can't just accuse people like tha-"

"No," Minato interrupted, "It's alright. I feel I can trust you two."

Asuna gave a worrying glance while Kirito relaxed his body and waited to hear Minato's answer.

"I... I think I was fighting the 75th Floor's boss."

Kirito's and Asuna's eyes widened. "WHAT!?"

"I kind of underestimated it and I escaped," Minato explained. "When I came to, I wound up here."

"Wait," Kirito interrupted. "How exactly did you escape, Minato? «Teleport Crystals» have started to become useless on Floors 74 and 75 in dungeons and presumably, the boss areas. Anti-crystal fields have become far more common lately."

"...Really?" Minato lied. "I guess the one I used was just a glitch then." He wasn't sure how he came to the 22nd Floor, but he was sure it wasn't because of those «Teleport Crystals».

"Who else was with you Minato-kun?" Asuna asked.

"No one."

"A solo player?! Fighting a boss on a higher Floor alone?!" Asuna yelled.

"Yes." Asuna's jaw dropped.

Kirito kept eyeing Minato carefully, feeling that Minato was only telling part of the truth. Solo players nowadays have become obsolete when it comes to combat. Monsters have become ridiculously harder as 75% of Aincrad had been cleared. Many players, even those who were highly skilled complained that the monsters, and Kayaba, were cheating bastards. Players couldn't imagine what the bosses of the past several Floors were like. They were already cleared when the «Clearers» arrived. Some boss rooms had items in them that seemed to have been items that one would get if they got the last attack on a boss. Few thought that it was a blessing that they didn't have to face the bosses and suffer possible death. Some wondered if it was the "Ghost In the Machine" that killed the bosses.

"What do you even fight with Minato-kun?" Asuna asked, curious to know what this solo player fights with.

"I mainly use one-handed swords to fight, Asuna-san," Minato answered. "But, I can use any weapon if I wanted to."

Kirito raised an eyebrow. "Would you mind showing us?"

"Sure," Minato said. Instead of opening up a player's menu, Minato summoned a one-handed sword that materialized in his right hand. The couple's eyes bucked. "This is a sword I got a long time ago. I kind of forgot how I got it too."

"That's..." Kirito trailed off. "That's the «Anneal Blade». You could only get it from a quest on one of the lower floors."

"Forget about the sword Kirito!" Asuna exclaimed. "How did you do that?"

Minato raised an eyebrow. "What? This is how I always summon my weapons." His «Anneal Blade» suddenly vanished, and then a knife came to replace it.

Asuna stared in shock. "Hey Kirito," Asuna whispered. "How is he doing this? Is this some new shortcut to summoning weapons that we don't know about?"

"I don't know," Kirito whispered back. "For now, let's just ignore it and treat him like a normal player, alright?"

"Ok."

"You two seem really comfortable together," Minato stated. "I guess you two aren't married for nothing. Young love. How beautiful." Kirito and Asuna blushed.

"Well," Kirito started, "I think that's enough questions for Minato. You seem to be confused and tired still, why don't you stay with us for now?"

"Are you sure?" Minato asked with a surprised look on his face. "I don't want to be a burden on you guys."

Asuna giggled. "You sound just like Kirito, Minato-kun."

Kirito awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "It's no problem Minato. You're welcome to stay with us. Asuna's cooking is to die for!" Kirito's face beamed.

Minato cringed a little at the last words. 'Hmph. Alice.' "Thank you Kirito, Asuna-san."

"No problem!" Asuna said. "I'm going to go prepare some food now. You two boys have fun! No rough housing!" She left for presumably the kitchen.

Now it was just Minato and Kirito in the room.

"So, how strong are you Minato?" Kirito asked. "You must be really strong if you thought you could face the 75th Floor's boss."

"I don't mean to boast," Minato said. "I consider myself incredibly strong."

"Oh?" Kirito raised an eyebrow. Then, a smirk came across his face. "Want to spar then?"

"I don't know..."

"Are you scared Minato?" Kirito almost sounded like Sanada Akihiko, one of Minato's friends.

Minato let out a small laugh. "Alright, Kirito, let's go!"

* * *

A/N: The second chapter is out! I felt bad posting the first chapter without having a lot of stuff happen. I spent only a day writing this (I had the day off). Well, Minato has now met Kirito and Asuna. What will happen now?

Huge thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, followed, and favorited!

As always, reviews are always nice!

Question: What song would you choose for a credits sequence for this story?

To those wondering what song I would choose for an opening, I chose Jibun Rock. Check it out! I think it sounds a bit too epic, but it's still a good song to check out!


	3. Innocent Times

**Ghost In the Machine**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Innocent Times**

* * *

_"Get ready to be surprised." - Sanada Akihiko_

* * *

**October 25th, 2024  
****Aincrad: 22nd Floor: Asuna and Kirito's Forest Home**

* * *

Kirito had been itching for a good duel for the longest time. His previous duel with Heathcliff, the leader of the «Knights of the Blood» guild, left a sour taste in his mouth. Even with his unique skill, «Dual Blades», Kirito could have sworn victory would have been within his grasp. But something about his loss still gnawed at his mind. It didn't seem like he should have lost. There was also Heathcliff, a player that rose to leadership and held the title «Man of Legend» for holding off the 50th Floor's boss for ten minutes. In their duel, Heathcliff's speed seemingly exceeded the system limits, allowing him to dodge Kirito's assault to deal a blow that would claim him victory.

Kirito sighed at the thought. A few weeks had gone by from when he lost and joined «Knights of the Blood» as part of his deal was to join the guild should he be defeated. But there was no point thinking about it now. Now, he had the opportunity to duel someone who thought they'd be strong enough to kill a high level boss **alone**. However, Minato didn't seem to be a player, so requesting a duel through the system was a no-go. The two decided to fight in front of the Forest Home in case Asuna was finished with her cooking.

"Are you ready Minato?" Kirito asked while browsing through his menu. He then selected one of his personal swords, «Elucidator +40».

"Ready when you are Kirito," Minato responded. He summoned his «Anneal Blade» and closed his eyes for a moment, as if focusing on something.

Kirito cocked an eyebrow in suspicion. Was Minato really using a weapon that weak? Did Minato think Kirito wasn't strong at all? Kirito shrugged it off and entered a battle stance akin to a stance he used in his former kendo days. Unknown to Kirito, Minato had also taken kendo and assumed a similar pose.

"You took kendo too Kirito?" Minato asked with a smile. This started to remind him of his time with Miyamoto Kazushi and the other members of his kendo team.

"I used to a few years ago, but I lost interest." Kirito then smiled sadly.

Minato noticed this but decided not to pry. Kirito didn't look comfortable talking about it.

"Well then," Kirito began.

Minato smirked. "Let's do this!" they shouted simultaneously.

Kirito immediately dashed forward with «Elucidator +40» in his hand, disregarding his kendo principles. Minato, however, was still standing in the same position as before. That didn't stop Kirito from advancing as he began to thrust his sword towards Minato. He wanted to see how much damage he could dish out to Minato. However...

CLANG!

"Wh-what the!?" Kirito shouted.

«Elucidator +40» was then seen flying towards the sun of Aincrad, the light of it engulfing the sword. The sword was seemingly gone. A few seconds had passed before any of the two had spoken again.

"Faster than I expected," Minato said with a small smile. His «Anneal Blade» was raised towards the sky because of an upward slash that was executed so quickly that Kirito didn't even know what just happened. Minato lowered his sword and frowned. "I probably shouldn't have used you, Thanatos..."

_[Aww, but the 1hSwd Master skill is so helpful!]_ Thanatos exclaimed.

_'Yes, but there are times when being OP as fuck is unsatisfying. You won't have much of a challenge,'_ Minato mentally answered. _'Now I know how you feel, Akihiko. __Let's see, who to choose...'_

_[How about me?] _Orpheus Telos asked.

_'Yeah. You don't have any skills that buff my physical attacks. Plus, Victory Cry will come in handy just in case.'_

_[Why not me!?] _Alice cried.

_'That's because you might want Kirito to die for you. Kirito seems very nice and I still don't feel comfortable with killing people ever since... __**that**__.' _Minato trailed off.

_[But the bastards deserved it! They should consider themselves lucky you didn't unleash Armageddon on them!]_ Satan declared.

_[As much as I wanted to see those sinners repent, I think that's a tad too much Satan.] _Helel said.

_'Alright guys, that's enough,'_ Minato said in his head. _'Let's forget about __**that**__ for now and get back to my duel. Remind me again why I talk to you guys?'_

_[Because you're so lonely! Who knows how long we've been trapped in this world. How did we even arrive here again?]_ Orpheus Telos asked.

_'Damn if I know, but it's nice to have some friendly company now.'_

_[Can they-]_

_'No Alice.'_ Alice then pouted.

Minato sighed in exasperation from the discussion. When he focused his eyes back on Kirito, the latter was still staring into the sky. His sword hadn't returned yet. Minato was beginning to feel guilty at the possibility that Kirito's sword may be gone. "Kirito." Minato began to speak in an apologetic tone. "I'm sorr-"

Just then, «Elucidator +40» came down with a clang behind Kirito, bringing him back to his senses. It seemed to be in perfect condition, to which Minato sighed in relief.

"Eh... Sorry about that, Kirito." Minato apologized. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "I guess I don't know my own strength."

Kirito then turned and walked slowly towards his sword, wanting to inspect its condition. He picked it up and swung it around in the air for a few moments. After that Kirito spoke again. "Wow. Your strength is amazing Minato," Kirito said without looking back. Minato's eyes widened slightly. He wasn't expecting this response. Kirito turned around with a smirk. "It looks like I got my work cut out for me! I never thought I'd meet someone this strong."

Minato laughed awkwardly. _'You don't even know the half of it...'_

_[At last! A true warrior is among us!]_ Odin cheered.

Minato nodded in agreement. _'Sorry Orpheus Telos, I guess I'll use Thanatos still.'_

_[Damn it.]_ Orpheus Telos muttered. Thanatos then gave a small cheer.

As Minato shifted into his starting stance, Kirito assumed a different battle stance. "Alright Minato, now I know I don't need to hold back anymore."

"Oh? You've been holding back on me? I feel insulted," Minato said jokingly.

Kirito laughed softly. "I just wanted to assess you before I did anything excessive. So, ready for round two?"

Minato smiled slyly at Kirito's persistence. "Alright, come at me!"

Again, Kirito sprinted forward with incredible velocity and Minato matched his speed as they were running towards each other. With sword in hand, Kirito aimed for Minato's legs in order to temporarily disable his movement. Minato saw this coming and he instantaneously leaped before the strike could connect and he swung his sword while in the air. Kirito blocked the attack, but he was sent back a couple of feet from it. Kirito shrugged it off and saw Minato closing in on him. He brought up his sword and charged towards Minato, and it clashed with Minato's «Anneal Blade». Both seemed to be equal in strength at the moment.

"You're pretty good, Kirito." Minato smiled. "It's nice to have someone strong to spar with." Kirito grinned in response. He thought the same as well. Minato wasn't like anyone he had ever come across in «SAO»; not even Heathcliff could compare to him. Kirito and Heathcliff seemed almost equal in strength, but Minato was something else, however. They broke off their short struggle and they both jumped back. Kirito was panting a little, but Minato didn't seem to be exhausted whatsoever.

Kirito took a deep breath as he relaxed his body. He then folded his sword arm towards his shoulder and he slightly twisted his body. «Elucidator +40» then radiated a bright yellow color. Minato eyed the situation cautiously, not sure what was going to happen next. Now that he activated «Vorpal Strike», Kirito then sped towards Minato at an ultra high-speed with his sword in front of him to thrust it. Minato was stunned for a bit at Kirito's speed and attempted to dodge, but Kirito was too fast and «Elucidator +40» barely grazed his arm. The blue-haired boy grunted but he appeared to be fine nonetheless.

"Oh? So I can inflict damage on you then." Kirito displayed a more cocky grin now that he knew Minato wasn't invincible. He was just incredibly skilled and agile. Speaking of agile, Minato once again closed the distance between them and was about to strike. Without anytime to waste, Kirito positioned his sword at the left side of his waist, his sword glowing purple. Soon after, he had activated «Snake Bite». With Minato now in front of him, Kirito then swung «Elucidator +40» with a right horizontal slash. The blue-haired boy held up his sword to defend himself, but he was suddenly attacked the from his left side in the arm. Kirito's sword was embedded in his arm.

"Tch..." Minato muttered. He swung his «Anneal Blade» at Kirito's sword in an attempt to have Kirito dislodge the sword in Minato's left arm. Kirito did exactly that while Minato backed off from him. He hardly uses his left arm as he's more of a right-handed person. It did hurt though. _'I should end this soon. As much as I love this duel, Kirito and his skills will get the better of me. I have to do the exact to him first.'_ Kirito took advantage of Minato's moment of exposure and then jumped into the air, thinking that this duel was dragging on too. He didn't know what else to expect from Minato. Gripping «Elucidator +40» with both of his hands, he then brought down his sword for a downward slash. In an attempt to not waste any more time, Minato rapidly raised his «Anneal Blade» above his head to block the incoming attack. Except, Kirito landed on his sword with one foot. He then performed a small back flip after jumping off it while swinging his sword in unison with his roll. He was aiming to land a hit on Minato while his back was exposed to end this duel.

...Except he wasn't within sight anymore.

"Huh!?" Kirito landed on his feet and searched around him. How did Minato maneuver his attack so quickly? Kirito's speed was impressive, but Minato was on a whole new level! He continued to search more frantically, not sure when his opponent will reappear.

"Brave Blade" was all Kirito heard before Minato slashed his sword arm from behind.

"Gaah!" Kirito cried in pain. The lower half of his arm landed on the ground before it virtually dissipated, leaving «Elucidator +40» behind.

"Shit!" Minato cursed. He was cursing himself for being too cocky with his strength. "I knew I should've switched! I'm really sorry Kirito!"

Kirito glared at Minato in anger while gripping on to what's left of his injured arm. With an apologetic look, Minato then breathed deeply. Suddenly, a twirling blue card appeared in front of him. Minato then slashed at the card with his «Anneal Blade», the card shattering as its shards disappeared.

"Messiah. Salvation."

A large, white figure that looked similar to Minato appeared behind him. It had a larger object on its back followed by small coffin lids connected with a chain. Kirito was then enveloped by a colorful light, his severed arm now regenerating rapidly. He stared on in shock as his arm returned to him. When he looked back to Minato, the white figure was already gone.

"What... was that?"

"Let's call it a unique skill of mine" was all that Minato said before Asuna came running out of the Forest Home towards Kirito with a panicked expression on her face.

"Kirito! Are you alright?! I heard you shout and thought you were hurt!"

Kirito smiled. "I was, but thanks to Minato, I'm not anymore."

Asuna glared at the two boys. "I told you boys no rough housing! Why do all boys have to be such idiots?"

Both Kirito and Minato laughed. "Oh! Is the food ready now Asuna?" Kirito asked.

Asuna sighed, but a smile returned to her face. "I actually finished just now. You can eat with us Minato-kun!" She turned towards Minato, but the latter was facing the opposite direction saying something like, "Yeah, I hope hers is better than..." She didn't catch the last part.

"Minato-kun!" Asuna shouted. Minato then turned around. "Have breakfast with us!"

"Alright!" he replied back.

The trio walked into the house together. When Kirito asked what the food was, Asuna simply replied, "Ragout Rabbit." This made Kirito grin like an idiot while Minato had a confused look on his face. Rabbit? ...Well it could be worse.

* * *

"Wow! This is incredible Asuna-san!"

"See? Her food is so delicious!"

"Oh stop you two, you're making me blush..."

Minato was vividly surprised by how tasty the rabbit was. Kirito and Asuna were shocked when Minato asked for seconds politely. And by seconds, it was four servings. Minato didn't show any signs of starvation before. When the couple questioned him about his hunger, Minato answered while eating that he always ate a lot. The two were surprised how much of glutton he was, but they ignored it eventually.

Kirito related to Asuna the details of his duel with Minato. Asuna's jaw dropped when she heard that «Elucidator +40» was sent flying in the air like a baseball. The boys chuckled at her reaction. When Kirito mentioned his arm getting sliced off, Asuna glared darkly at Minato and he cringed at the sight. She lightened up when she heard that Minato healed Kirito though.

"Wait. How did you heal Kirito, Minato-kun?"

"Is it some sort of special skill that was given to you? Summoning that thing?" Kirito asked. Asuna wondered what he was talking about, but didn't say anything. "There are a few players that have special skills in «SAO» that's exclusive only to them. I can wield two one-handed swords because of mine."

Minato raised an eyebrow. "How come you didn't use that skill when we were dueling? It probably would have been more entertaining if you did."

Kirito shrugged. "It didn't seem fair if I fought with two swords while you fought with only one. Despite that, you probably would have kicked my ass anyway. You're strong Minato."

Minato smiled for a fleeting moment, but his face then became neutral. "Yeah, it's a unique skill that only I have in «SAO»." Kirito and Asuna looked at him with perplexed looks on their faces. They were confused with Minato's power indeed, but they didn't want to make him more uncomfortable. It didn't like Minato wanted to elaborate anymore.

Deciding to change the subject, Kirito cleared his throat. "I guess you used it to face the 75th Floor's boss then."

Minato nodded. "Yes, but now I don't intend to hold back when I go back."

"You're gonna go back Minato-kun!?" Asuna was shocked that he would try it again after escaping from it last time.

"Well, we have to reach the 100th Floor somehow, and put an end to all of this." Minato's expression turned serious. He too wanted to clear this game.

"Count us in too, Minato." Kirito stood up. "Even though you're clearly capable of handling yourself in battle, Asuna and I are more than willing to help you."

Asuna nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We want to clear «SAO» to free everyone."

_[They seem kind. I too wish to see this game end.]_ Messiah said.

Seeing the couple with confident looks in their eyes, Minato smiled. "Alright. From now on, let's do this together."

"When do you plan on returning to the 75th Floor Minato?" Kirito asked.

Minato then yawned. Despite waking up a few hours earlier, he was getting tired from boredom. "Not anytime soon. So, what are you two going to do now?"

"We still have a lot of time left before the day ends. What should we do Kirito?" Asuna asked, facing Kirito.

"Hmm... We still have our honeymoon, Asuna. I think I'll go back to fishing at the lake for some fish tonight."

"Wait. What? You two are on your honeymoon?" Minato questioned.

Kirito scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Y-yeah. We married each other yesterday."

"Aww. You guys should have told me!" Minato smiled slightly. "I don't want to be a third wheel!"

"It's alright Minato-kun. You're out friend and guest. What Kirito and I planned to do was have fish for dinner as we spend our honeymoon here in our home," Asuna assured.

_[You can't really do too much for a honeymoon in here anyway.]_ Orpheus Telos stated.

"Ok. How about I help Kirito fish then?" Minato asked. He had nothing else better to do. He didn't have anywhere to go too. Asuna and Kirito treated him with a lot of hospitality, so he decided to return the favor. "I've got nothing else better to do."

"Sure Minato-kun!" Asuna complied. "I'll stay home; Kirito needs to improve his fishing skill anyways. Go with him in case he can't catch anything!"

Kirito sighed in resignation as he summoned a fishing rod from his inventory. "There's a big lake in the middle of this floor, Minato. Let's fish there."

"Mhmm... Fish..." Minato dreamt at the thought of tasting Asuna's cooked fish. If her cooked rabbit was that good, surely fish will be heaven on Earth. Or Aincrad? Whatever. The boys walked then walked out of the house to go fishing while Asuna stayed behind.

* * *

**Tatsumi Memorial Hospital**

* * *

"Preparations are complete. Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, Mitsuru-san. Minato is still alive in there. His vital signs show that he's recovering at a remarkable pace. It has been two years since he was trapped. If I enter, then perhaps I can hasten his and everyone's freedom from «Sword Art Online». Also... I wish to see him again..."

"I understand. After some technical adjustments made to you and your special NerveGear, you should be able to arrive at Minato's exact location in there. Assist him with his journey, Aigis. Good luck and be careful."

* * *

Version 2 (edited)

A/N: Yay! The third chapter is up! A lot of people were expecting Kirito's ass to get handed to him, but I didn't want to drag out a fight to be honest. Hopefully that satisfied some. To those wondering, Kirito and Asuna will remain a couple. Their relationship is a beautiful one, and I'd hate to ruin it. But with this chapter's end, I hope it satisfies some of your curiosities about Minato! It took me forever to find a suitable quote for this chapter, but I finally found this one while playing Persona 3 Portable awhile ago! I believe you hear it on the night of the Magician Shadow .

To those wondering what song I would choose for a credits sequence, I don't have one! I usually don't pay attention to credits except for Sword Art Online or Fullmetal Alchemist. Haha...

As always, thanks for reading and reviews are always nice!

Question: What name did you give the male Persona 3 protagonist other than Minato Arisato? (First name, last name).

In FES, I named him Sorata Kanda. In Portable, I named him Shido Itsuka. Props to those who know where those names originate from and the reasons why I gave him those names as well!


	4. Raison D'Être Avec Vous

**Ghost In the Machine**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Raison D'Être Avec Vous**

* * *

_"I'm not going to die. Because I'm the one who will protect you." - Asuna_

* * *

**October 25th, 2024  
****Aincrad: 22nd Floor**

* * *

"PFFT HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Please stop laughing..."

"HAHAHAHA! OH! I gotta stop! I'm gonna throw up!"

"Is it even possible to vomit in «SAO»!?"

"I don't know! But it feels like it! This is still hilarious as shit!"

Kirito kept glaring at Minato. The blue-haired teen was stuck in the middle of a laughing fit. Why was he laughing so much? The two boys left the Forest Home to go fishing at the lake. When they arrived, Kirito began to fish on the wooden boardwalk while Minato sat beside him, watching. Some time had passed before the «Black Swordsman» had even a nibble on the line. After almost falling asleep, Kirito was then awakened by a pull on the line. He struggled for a bit, wondering at the same time if it was the rumored "fish god." With one strong yank, it turned out that the "fish" was just a boot. For someone like Kirito to perform such a feat was... absurdly amusing.

Minato, who was on his back clutching his stomach, was trying to catch his breath. "Oh! Oh god. Haha! This reminds me of Animal Crossing. All those times I fished out boots and tires..." Minato sighed at the memories. "Hey Kirito, lend me your fishing rod. Perhaps I can at least catch something edible." Kirito frowned at the statement, but decided to give Minato the rod and stood next to him. This lake was known to have a very high difficulty in fishing, according to the players from Coral Village near the lake. Kirito wasn't sure if Minato's unknown skills were up to the challenge, but he thought it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot.

"Maybe I can fish out a Magikarp or, if I'm lucky, a Gyarados!" Minato said jokingly. He thought that this would hopefully be like Pokémon. At least in the games, you actually get creatures instead of miscellaneous objects. Minato stood up on the boardwalk with both of his hands on the fishing rod, assuming a stance similar to the way he handles two-handed swords. He flung out the lure into the lake and waited. A few moments went by and nothing had tugged the line yet. Kirito gave a small yawn. If there was anything that Minato learned from his time fighting against Shadows, it was to be patient. Suddenly, the line was tugged hard, and Minato almost fell off the boardwalk from the sudden force before he stood his ground.

"Minato! Do you need any help?" Kirito asked. The blue-haired boy held out a hand giving the "I'm fine" sign. Whatever this thing was, all Minato needed was a quick Tarukaja or Auto-Tarukaja and this thing would be in the ba-

"Is... is that really you? Minato?"

Minato paused, his eyes widened greatly. This voice... Kirito didn't recognize it, but Minato knew it all too well. They both turned behind them and at the other end of the boardwalk was...

"...Aigis?"

Minato stared at the voice's source, astonished. It was indeed Aigis, but instead of seeing an android-like body, she had skin all over her body. What really caught his eye though was that he saw ears other than red "headphones." Aigis was wearing a white tunic and pants that resembled armor beginner players of «SAO» would wear. Despite her more human appearance, Minato recognized Aigis' face.

The fishing rod slipped through Minato's hands and was dragged into the lake with whatever was on the line, in which Kirito shouted. "My rod!" Minato didn't pay him no mind, because his mind was on something else.

_[[Go to her.]] _Orpheus Telos and Messiah insisted.

He ran towards the blonde-haired girl and pulled her in for a strong hug, putting his head over her shoulder. "I can't believe it... You're really here? I'm not dreaming this?" Minato's voice was filled with sadness. Aigis, unable to hold in her tears, squeezed him. "I... missed you..." Aigis hugged Minato tighter after hearing him.

"My highest priority is to be with you, Minato..." Aigis whispered into his ear.

Kirito, now out of his brief stupor, was eyeing the two from his original position. He smiled at the sight. He didn't know who this girl was, but he was able to notice that she and Minato were intimately acquainted with each other. Having friends like that in «SAO» was comforting.

"Y-you came for me? But Aigis, that means you can't escape «Sword Art Online» until someone defeats the final boss on the 100th Floor..."

"I do not care." Aigis' voice roared with determination. "I only wish to be with you."

Minato didn't say anything. Aigis then felt something wet on her face. To her shock, tears were streaming down Minato's face. "I'm sorry," he said solemnly. "I never meant for you to endure so much..."

Aigis shook her head. "I'll follow you to the ends of the Earth to be with you. That's my main objective. As long as we are together, it doesn't matter now what happens."

Although there are multiple scenarios that could make the meaning of those words debatable, they calmed Minato down. They broke off their embrace and Minato wiped away his tears with his arm. Aigis was still feeling jovial with her reunion; she then noticed the black-haired boy on the boardwalk, who had supposedly watched the entire scene. Kirito sweat-dropped when Aigis shot a glare at him. Minato noticed this and grasped Aigis' hand.

"Don't worry, Aigis. He's a friend of mine." Minato led Aigis to Kirito, though her suspicions didn't cease. Through her new player vision, she analyzed Kirito and concluded that he was possibly a highly skilled player and a potential threat. Aigis wanted to believe Minato, but she was acting cautious for her own safety and, more importantly, Minato's. Her grip tightened and Minato internally sighed. He was beginning to feel déjà vu. _'I hope this isn't going to be the same as with Ryoji...' _They walked up to Kirito and he had a friendly smile on his face.

"Kirito, this is my friend Aigis," Minato introduced. "We know each other in real life too."

"Are you sure you're just friends?" Kirito said slyly. Minato's face blushed slightly while Aigis clung on to his arm. "Haha, I see. It's nice to meet you Aigis. I'm Kirito."

"My name is Aigis. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kirito." Aigis' mood lightened up. She was thinking Kirito may not be a hostile threat due to his kind demeanor.

Kirito checked Aigis to see if she was actually a player and not a case like Minato. Sure enough, there was a player icon above her. "So how long have you been in «SAO» Aigis?" Her attire was exactly like a player's when starting «SAO». It's been almost two years, but there were still people who haven't progressed past the first few floors since this life-or-death game began. Surely everyone in the real world were aware of the situation. No one in the right mind would be stupid enough to play the game and endanger themsel-

"I arrived just moments ago," Aigis replied. Kirito's jaw dropped.

"WHAT?!" Kirito shouted. "Do you know what you got yourself into?!"

"I do know."

"Then why would you enter «SAO»?"

"I want to be with Minato." Aigis' tone became serious. "I wish to assist him in his escape from here."

Minato gave a sad smile. Although he does appreciate Aigis' presence, he didn't want her to be wrapped up in this. Now that she was in «SAO», Minato had to accept that fact. There's no turning back now.

Kirito sighed. He could see Aigis' devotion and love to Minato. He understood her actions, but he still believed it was reckless. "Well, I guess there's no turning back now. I still think it was a dumb decision, but I can understand why you did it. It's been so long for all of us."

_'It's been longer for me...'_ Aigis and Minato thought simultaneously.

"So," Kirito began speaking. "Since your Minato's 'friend,' we'd like to be yours too."

"We?" Aigis asked.

"Oh that's right!" Kirito exclaimed. "You haven't met Asuna yet!"

Aigis looked towards Minato. "Asuna-san is Kirito's wife," he explained. "She's also a player in «Sword Art Online». She and Kirito live on this floor together."

"I see," Aigis said. "If you do not mind me asking, Minato, what were you and Kirito-san doing before I arrived?"

"We came to this lake to get our hands on some fish for Asuna-san to cook."

"There is food in «Sword Art Online»?" Aigis asked.

"Surprisingly enough, yes. And you can actually taste it too! Asuna-san's cooking is delicious!" Minato puts his hands on his cheeks. "I bet she can even make ramen a 5-star entrée. You have to try it Aigis!" Aigis sweat-dropped at Minato's enthusiasm. "Anyways, we didn't catch any fish yet. Although, Kirito managed to find a boot!"

"Can we please stop talking about that?" Kirito grumbled. Minato snickered while Aigis giggled slightly.

"We still haven't got any fish, so we're going to keep trying until we get a decent amount. We can have you meet Asuna-san later, Aigis." Minato assured.

"I understand."

Minato nodded. "Alright, looks like it's back to fishing for me."

"At least I have another rod to replace the one you lost." Kirito said. Minato laughed nervously. "Wait, what do you 'it's back to fishing for you?'"

Minato cocked an eyebrow. "What? And have boots to eat? I'll admit, Asuna-san's cooking is fantastic, but I'm not sure even with her fried boots will be edible." Aigis stifled her laughter.

Kirito groaned into his hands. "This is going to be a long day..."

* * *

Some time had passed since Kirito and Minato left. Asuna lied on the couch Minato was on earlier, looking up at the ceiling. She was becoming bored with no one else around. She had already created some small dishes to go along with dinner. The boys didn't come back for lunch too. She assumed that they were either attempting to snag a lot of fish fit for a feast, or they were just being boys and went off on some side adventure.

Asuna sighed. "It's been a few hours already." She then brought up her player menu. "I think now I should send a message to-"

"We're back!" a familiar voice shouted.

Asuna shot up and went to the front door. "Finally, Kirito! You two have been gone for too long!" When she arrived, she saw only Kirito. "Wait, where's Minato-kun?"

Kirito pointed back to the door. "He'll be here in a second."

As soon as he said that, the door opened. Asuna saw Minato walked through the door, but here eyes were focused on the girl whose hand was gripping Minato's. The girl gave Asuna a blank look.

"Who's this girl Minato-kun?" Asuna asked.

Before he could speak, the girl spoke up first. "I am Aigis. I am Minato's... girlfriend."

While Minato didn't seem too startled by her statement, he was wondering where Aigis' assertiveness came from. Asuna was surprised.

"Wow... I knew you were cute Minato, but I didn't expect you to have a girlfriend this cute." Aigis blushed slightly and looked down. "I'm Asuna and I'm also Kirito's wife."

Aigis lifted her head up and smiled. Asuna appeared to be hospitable. Minato looked at Aigis and smiled too. It was nice to see her getting along with others. As far as he could remember, she mainly interacted with the members of S.E.E.S. in school and outside of it.

"I also know Aigis in real life." Minato said. "You could say we have a special relationship. She apparently just joined the game in order to be with me." Minato glanced at Aigis. Then his expression turned serious. "Nonetheless, I can't leave her behind, now more than ever. So, could she and I stay with you and Kirito for the time being?"

Kirito and Asuna looked towards each other. Without speaking, they both knew what their decision was.

"You two are more than welcome to stay." Asuna said happily. "Fortunately, our home has two bedrooms."

Minato and Aigis smiled. "Thank you two for your hospitality," they said as they bowed.

"It's no problem," Kirito said.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, why were you two gone for so long, Kirito?" Asuna asked.

"Uh..." Kirito sweat-dropped.

"He kept fishing out boots, so I had to fish for us." Minato stated.

Asuna fell over laughing. Kirito pinched the bridge of his nose. Aigis giggled into her hand.

"Speaking of which," Minato continued, "I caught a ton for all of us. There was something that challenged me a bit, but that was when I met Aigis again."

Asuna wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh well. At least you caught a lot of fish." She smiled smugly at Kirito. "Looks like you need to improve your fishing skill Kirito."

Kirito nodded. "I know dear. All right. Let's eat!"

* * *

Over the course of dinner, Minato and Kirito kept gushing over how incredible Asuna's food was again. Aigis, despite not needing to eat normally, chose to eat too. She commented on the different aspects of Asuna's food, right down to possible programmings. Even so, she did enjoy eating dinner.

After everyone finished eating, it was starting to get late. Kirito showed Minato and Aigis to their room and left for his room to get some sleep. Their room had one bed, so they'd be sharing it. Aigis, who was still new in «SAO», remained in her armor. Minato changed from his Gekkoukan clothes into a blue shirt and black boxers.

_'Virtual hammerspace is weird... Especially with my case.'_ Minato thought. He never did bother to learn where all of his weapons, items, and equipment went when he wasn't using them. «SAO» he could kind of understand. Wait. What about his time in during the Dark Hour? _'Hey guys, do you know?'_

_[To be honest, I don't know either.] _Thanatos said.

_[Your stuff sure isn't with any of us.]_ Satan said.

_'I guess we never really gave it any thought... Do we just store our stuff in our minds?'_

_[How does that even work?] _Orpheus Telos asked.

_'It could be that they're sent to some alternate dimension like what I saw in Twilight Princess. We can just summon them when we want to I suppose.'_

_[...What.] _Thanatos said.

"The world may never know..." Minato whispered.

"Hmm? Is something the matter Minato?"

"Oh it's nothing, Aigis. I'm just tired." He walked over to their bed and lied down on the left side of it. "Aigis, you said that you followed me into here. How did you know I was in «Sword Art Online»?"

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you, Minato. At least not yet." Aigis said, her eyes darting away from Minato.

"...I see. I'm sure you have your reasons. I guess what matters is that I'm here and I know this is real, in a virtual and non-virtual sense. At first, I wasn't even sure how I got stuck in this game. All I remember was seeing you on the roof of the school with my head on your lap. Next thing I know, I find myself on the 1st Floor of Aincrad. I didn't know what was going on; I had to keep my distance from others. I eventually learned the only way to clear the game was to beat the final boss. My Persona powers for some reason work in this world and I use it to my advantage. Can you do the same?"

"I have tried. However, it seems I cannot summon Athena in «Sword Art Online»."

"Oh well. I guess you're going to have to play the game normally."

Aigis nodded. "You know, Minato. When I look at you, you do not have a player icon above your head. Perhaps that is because of..." She trailed off. "Never mind."

"Huh. I guess I'll learn about it eventually. What I care about now is that you're here beside me. I'm so grateful for that."

"Minato..."

Minato yawned. "Let's do something about you tomorrow. You're a new player so it would be best for you to get some experience on the field and some new weapons and armor. But for now, let's sleep. It's been an exciting day for the both of us."

Aigis nodded and got on the right side of the bed. "Goodnight Minato..."

"Goodnight Aigis..."

* * *

**?**

* * *

_"What the... who are you!?"_

_"..."_

_"I said, who are you?!"_

_"I'm like you people... I have no name. What did you guys just do?"_

_"What does it look like? Sad to say, you won't be alive long enough to tell about it."_

_"I see... You... bastards. Now you've really crossed the line."_

_"What in the world is that?! What are you doing!?"_

_"Hahaha... Come forth!"_

_"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!? NO! STAY AWAY!"_

_"Hahahaha... HAHAHAHAHA!"_

* * *

**October 26th, 2024  
****Aincrad: 22nd Floor: Kirito and Asuna's Forest Home**

* * *

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Minato jolted up from his bed, sweating and panting. "What... what was that?"

Soon after he shouted, Aigis, who was on Minato's right side, woke up immediately. "Minato! Are you alright!?"

"I'm... I'm fine. It was just a nightmare. Thank you, Aigis." Minato ruffled her hair. "Good morning by the way."

Aigis was wary of Minato's sudden outburst, but dismissed it quickly. _'I wonder what his dream was about...'_ "Good morning to you too. Perhaps we should check to see if Kirito-san and Asuna-san are awake."

Minato nodded. "Yeah. The sooner we can have you get adjusted to «SAO», the better. What do you want to use?"

"Based on my analysis of the weapons data from the game, I would like to use a sword and a shield."

"A shield? Huh. I guess Athena does have a shield as well. Alright, I'm gonna go check to see if they're up yet." Minato got up from the bed and left the room. *sniff* "Ooooh. Breakfast."

* * *

A/N: *clasps hands together* Gomenasai! I'm really sorry! I wanted to upload chapter 4 Friday night, but I got caught up in reading the manga version of Nisekoi (I'm a fool for love stories *rubs back of head*). Then Saturday I had a major headache and only got some of it done. I try to make one-week updates on Fridays or Saturdays.

Moving right along, I dropped a ton of references to games and anime in this chapter. They were too good to pass up! So, Aigis is now a player in «SAO». What will happen now? Find out next time on the next exciting chapter of Ghost In the Machine!

As always, thanks for reading and reviews are appreciated!

Question: Who should Kirito and Asuna introduce to Minato and Aigis next chapter? You guys can list a few.

Also, I'm looking for a beta-reader to help me with the story!


	5. Virtual Shift

**Ghost In the Machine**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Virtual Shift**

* * *

_"True friendship is seen through the heart, kid, not the eyes..." - Mutatsu_

* * *

**October 26th, 2024  
****Aincrad: 22nd Floor: Kirito and Asuna's Forest Home**

* * *

Minato's eyebrow twitched. When he had smelled an odor emanating from the kitchen, he expected it to be Asuna making breakfast. He didn't expect to find Kirito to be the one preparing it. How good was he at cooking?

"Please tell me your cooking skills are better than your fishing," Minato teased. He hoped that Kirito's food will taste better than Fuuka's first batches of attempts. That was something he never wanted to relive ever again, even if it was for a friend.

"Good morning to you too," Kirito deadpanned. "You're up rather early."

Minato shrugged. "I'm used to waking up early for school. It gives me time to eat and do other things. Like listening to my music more. If I was tired, I slept during class."

Kirito laughed. "You don't sound like a good student."

"Strangely enough, I was one of the top students in my grade. The first set of tests landed me in the top ten; the subsequent tests after that I got the highest scores." It did, however, take a lot time to increase his academics. For the first half of his second year, Minato paid attention in class and studied almost nonstop in his room at the dorm when he and the rest of S.E.E.S. didn't go to Tartarus. It was far too annoying, but when the first semester ended, Minato could finally relax and sleep in class. For some reason, he was never caught napping.

"Somehow I believe you," Kirito said. "Asuna isn't up yet, so I just made a quick bite. Anyways, what are you and Aigis-san doing today? I assume you want to level her up and get some equipment and items."

Minato nodded. "That's the plan in any good old rpg. Kingdom Hearts, Pokémon, Final Fantasy, etc."

_'I guess Minato is an old fashioned video game player,'_ Kirito thought. "I have some friends in «SAO» that specialize in blacksmithing and weaponry. Would you like to meet them Minato?" he asked.

"Sure, but let's have Aigis gain some experience before doing so. I'd like to see how she'll fare in combat before she receives proper equipment." Minato stated. Aigis will have to adjust to not using guns or grenade launchers. Now she'll have to fight with weapons that her S.E.E.S. comrades used.

"That's understandable. She can either grind on Floor 1 and move on up through the other floors, or..."

"Or?" Minato raised an eyebrow.

"Or she can party up with us, we fight on the higher floors, and she'll gain the shared experience. However, she won't receive much practice with her weapons and we would have to protect her constantly."

"Tch," Minato grunted. "Let's go with the former. The two options sound equally tedious, but we won't have to worry so much about safeguarding Aigis against most enemies. Plus, she needs to train with her weapons. We can party up once she gets the hang of things."

"Sounds like a plan." Kirito smiled. "Now then, what would you like to eat by the way? We have some «Ragout Rabbit's Meat» that can be made into stew."

"That sounds tasty, but why don't we have Asuna-san make it. Is your cooking skill high enough?" Minato questioned.

Kirito sweat-dropped. "Eh... perhaps we should do that."

* * *

**Aincrad: 1st Floor**

* * *

Asuna woke up some time later, and she proceeded to create breakfast due to Kirito's pleading and pouting. After the boys shared today's plan with her, she agreed to go in order to help and watch Aigis. Kirito and Asuna changed into their fighting apparel. Kirito was dressed in all black while Asuna dressed in white. Everyone warped to the 1st Floor of Aincrad and went to the outskirts of the Starting City. Kirito that suggested Aigis should fight the «Frenzy Boars» as they were the weakest enemies in «SAO». They were passive and they don't attack unless provoked. Minato wanted to stand by Aigis at all times just for precautions.

After some practice with her «Small Sword», Aigis was now adept to combat in «SAO» due to instructions from Minato, Kirito, and Asuna. The boys went over how to let your body do the talking when fighting while Asuna went over with her how to execute fast moves and seeing the weak points of an enemy. Eventually, Aigis managed to process all of the information given to her and reach level 10 with help of course. Once she was past level 3, the group moved to other areas of the 1st Floor to fight stronger enemies like the «Little Nepents». Kirito, for some reason, didn't look too happy when he was near them.

Minato yawned. Quite some time had passed since this grinding montage began. "How long have we been at this?" he asked.

"About three hours," Kirito replied.

"Three hours!" Minato exclaimed. "It felt far longer than that." Minato remembered the times he fought in Tartarus during the Dark Hour. Despite it lasting only one hour, the constant surveying of each of the floors and fighting Shadows exhausted him and his friends to no end.

Kirito could relate to Minato. "I must say, Aigis-san, you're improving faster than I was when I started out."

"Aigis can remember things pretty well," Minato explained. Aigis nodded in agreement.

Stretching her arms out, Asuna began talking. "Who should we see first Kirito? I think Aigis is ready to get some new equipment."

"Who are you guys talking about?" Minato asked.

"Friends of ours," Asuna explained. "One of them is called Agil. He specializes in buying and selling weaponry. The other is Lisbeth. She's a very good blacksmith."

Kirito pondered for a moment. "Umm... how about we visit Agil on the 50th Floor? He buys and sells weapons for cheap, and that is his motto. After we find Aigis-san a suitable weapon, we can have Lisbeth upgrade it."

"Sounds like a plan," Minato agreed. "How about it Aigis?"

"I am satisfied with this decision," Aigis responded.

"Let's go then!" Kirito declared.

* * *

**Aincrad: 50th Floor: «Algade»**

* * *

The group arrived on the 50th Floor via warping. The 50th Floor of Aincrad was always bustling as it was the most populated floor in «SAO». Kirito had pointed out that before marrying Asuna, he used to live on this floor. Kirito and Asuna led Minato and Aigis to their good friend Agil. Along the way, there were some odd glances from players thrown in the group's direction. Some at Kirito and Asuna, but mainly at Minato. He noticed it but didn't know why. Eventually he chose to ignore it.

They entered a shop in an alley and saw a large, bald man behind a counter giving a player a generous amount of 1000 Col. The player looked ecstatic as she left the shop with the man waving goodbye. He then noticed the group that just shuffled inside.

"Ah! Kirito! Asuna!" the man greeted. He looked intimidating at first glance, but he seemed to be very cordial with everyone.

"It's good to see you again Agil," Kirito greeted. Asuna quickly bowed. "We came to find appropriate weapons and armor for our friends here." He gestured to the blue-haired boy and blonde girl behind them.

Minato pointed a finger at himself, confused. "Me too?"

"Do you have any other weapons?" Kirito asked. "I've only seen you with the «Anneal Blade» and that's it."

Minato thought for a few seconds. "Huh. I never thought about it. Yeah, sadly I only have the «Anneal Blade»."

Agil chuckled at Minato's absent-mindedness. "Don't worry! I have a lot of weapons and armor that I'm sure you'll find suitable for you and your lady friend!" He motioned for the two to enter the back of the shop. "My inventory's back here. Come take a look!"

Agil watched as Aigis and Minato entered the inventory and then he turned his head back to Kirito and Asuna. "You two do know that something is off about Minato, right?" He already noticed that Minato wasn't a normal player.

"Yeah we already realized that," Asuna answered. "He's definitely not an NPC. Maybe he's just a player that's been glitched or something. It's possible right?"

Agil nodded. "I suppose so. «Sword Art Online» does have its share of problems. It's possible for something like this to occur."

"We already deemed that he isn't a threat or anything," Kirito interjected. "He's just like us, even though he is abnormal compared to the rest of us. He wants to escape this game. Minato especially wants to return with Aigis. The two are boyfriend and girlfriend in real life."

"Ah. I see." Agil could relate. Ever since this death game began, he unintentionally left behind his wife and the café he manned with her, the Dicey Café. He wondered if the café was still open, but he mainly cared about seeing his wife again. "I should check up on them to see if they have any questions then." Agil left for the inventory.

* * *

Moments later, Aigis emerged from the inventory area. She now sported armor that was sort of similar to Asuna's in design. It was white and it also had black lines along the edges of it. It was rather stylish and it looked light. In Aigis' hand was a rapier with a silver hilt.

"Wow Aigis. That looks so good on you!" Asuna remarked. Kirito nodded in agreement.

Aigis smiled. "Thank you." To her, her armor was reminiscent of her Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon appearance.

Kirito looked behind her. "Where's Minato?"

"That boy sure is picky," Agil said as he exited the inventory, rubbing the back of his head. "He's pretty much like you Kirito. He was testing out weapons and commenting on their pros and cons." Kirito laughed nervously. "It surprised me that Minato could wield any type of weapon that I have. You don't see too many players that specialize in diversity like that. Sadly, it doesn't seem like I have anything that suit Minato's needs. Not even armor."

"Hey this looks nice." Minato's voice said in the inventory. It was then followed by the sound of a blade snapping and bouncing on the floor. "Oh my..."

Kirito and the girls sweat-dropped. Agil sighed dejectedly.

Minato then came out with his hands in his pockets, looking apologetic. "Sorry Agil-san, but it appears that I've broken one of your two-handed swords." He apologized.

"It's alright Minato. It's not like I carry anything rather rare back there anyway." Agil shrugged.

"I guess there doesn't seem to be a weapon here for me," Minato said. Even if he could use any type of weapon he wanted to, Minato preferred impressive one-handed weapons.

"Hmm..." Kirito thought aloud. "We could try and enter a dungeon to find a monster we could kill so it can drop a weapon..." Kirito then had a realization. "I got it. Before we visit our friend Lisbeth, we'll go to the 55th Floor."

"What's on that floor?"

"About four months ago, I went with Lisbeth to claim an item. That item was necessary to create one of my swords, «Dark Repulser». It's about as strong as my «Elucidator +40» after Lisbeth created and reinforced it." Kirito explained.

"It's strong like that one sword of yours huh?" Minato grinned. "That's sounds excellent to me."

Asuna sighed. "Boys..."

Aigis silently agreed. She remembered all those times when Minato wanted to go to Tartarus just to find good weapons for S.E.E.S. She had to admit though, even with the discounts on Mondays, Officer Kurosawa did charge a hefty amount of money for weapons and armor.

"Ok Agil. How much is it for Aigis' stuff?" Kirito asked.

"Ah don't worry about Col, Kirito. This stuff is on me! Aigis-san is a new player after all, so she needs it."

"Really?" Minato asked. "That's very nice of you Agil-san," He outstretched his hand. "Thank you."

Agil grabbed Minato's hand and shook it. "Heh, no problem Minato."

* * *

**Aincrad: 55th Floor: West Mountain**

* * *

West Mountain. A dungeon that was covered in snow and ice just like the rest of the western region of the 55th Floor.

"It's down here," Kirito said. He pointed down to a pit with a wide diameter that also seemed very deep. "I got the «Crystallite Ingot» down there. It has a very light blue color to it. Some could be covered by the in-game snow, so search carefully Minato."

"Right." Minato nodded and jumped down into the hole.

Asuna immediately realized something. "Kirito?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"How will Minato-kun get out?"

"...Damn." Kirito cursed. "I forgot that the last time I was here, I hitched a ride on a dragon. It won't return to this hole until morning." He clenched his fists.

"What!" Asuna shouted in exasperation. "We have to wait an entire day for Minato-kun to get out!"

Aigis was slightly worried about Minato, but she had a feeling he would escape rather soon.

"Hey guys! I think I found it!" Minato shouted from the pit.

"Er... Minato? I hate to tell you this, but the only way to get out is to ride on the dragon that nests in the hole... And it won't come back until morning," Kirito shouted down the hole.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Minato?"

"Skadi! Nilfheim!"

A humongous pillar of ice instantly shot up from the dragon's nest. Kirito and Asuna gaped at the sight while Aigis' expression remained neutral. Using the pillar as a spring, Minato leaped into the air, holding a light blue rock in his hand. He then landed right in front of the trio. "This is it right?" He held the object in front of Kirito.

"Y-yeah. That's the «Crystallite Ingot»." Kirito was still taken aback by the newly formed pillar behind Minato. "I- was that your 'unique skill' Minato?" Initially, Kirito assumed the blue-haired player's unique skill was healing. He didn't realize that there was probably more to it than meets the eye. What kind of skill was this in «SAO»? Healing, creating massive amounts of ice. Minato was such an enigma. Kirito began to think he had yet to see all of Minato's strength.

Minato glanced behind him. The tower he created with Nilfheim dissipated. "Part of it, yes. It's actually one of my strongest attacks. I never thought I could use it strategically like that," he said while turning back around. "So, I guess we're going to see your blacksmith friend then?" He tossed the item to Kirito so he could keep it in his inventory.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure Lisbeth should be in her shop now," Kirito said.

Asuna snapped out of her shocked trance. "I never knew there was a skill like this in «SAO»! This is something you would see in an MMORPG that has magic!"

Minato rubbed the back of his head. "You learn something new everyday, Asuna-san."

* * *

**Aincrad: 48th Floor: Lisbeth's Smith Shop**

* * *

Lisbeth's Smith Shop. It was a small house that came with a waterwheel. The interior of the shop was lined with weapons shown in display cases or hung on the wall.

"Lisbeth!" Asuna called out as she entered the shop. "It's me, Asuna!"

From behind a counter was a girl with pink hair in a red and white blacksmith outfit, who was apparently asleep. She snored kind of loudly as well.

Asuna giggled. She walked up to the pink-haired girl and began tickling her body.

She shot up immediately when Asuna began tickling, laughing out loud. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Asuna ceased her tickling. "A-Asuna? Why did you tickle me?"

Asuna smiled mischievously. "It was too good to pass up, Lisbeth."

The pink-haired girl pouted, but then she noticed Kirito. "Oh! Kirito! It's nice to see you again!" The girl looked behind Asuna and Kirito and saw two people she didn't recognize. "Are those two your friends you guys?"

"They are," Kirito confirmed. "Hey Lisbeth, I need your blacksmithing skills again."

"More weapons to upgrade for you, Upgrade-sama?" Lisbeth sighed in exasperation.

"N-no!" Kirito twitched at the nickname. "It's not me that needs upgrading. It's my two friends." He gestured to Minato. "This is Minato." And then to Aigis. "And this is Aigis."

Lisbeth felt something was off about Minato, but she disregarded the mysterious feeling. Minato felt like he was being stared at by her and he looked at her with his typical, indifferent face. Lisbeth slightly blushed and placed her hands on her hips. "W-well, so long as they don't try to smash my inventory like you did," she glanced back at Minato and Aigis, "I think we're going to get along just fine!"

Kirito sweat-dropped. "Let's have Aigis-san go first with her rapier. We'll save the best for last."

Lisbeth raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but shrugged it off. It was Kirito after all. He probably gave Minato some rare ingredient. Minato looked kind of frail, almost like Kirito. Although, considering her past experience with Kirito, if the blue-haired boy was anything like the «Black Swordsman», then Minato was far stronger than he appears to be. Aigis walked up and gave Lisbeth her rapier, "How much do you want to reinforce it?"

"Make it +10," Kirito said.

"Ok! It can be done. I'll be right back." Lisbeth went to the back of her shop to her workshop to work on the sword. After a few moments had passed, she came back holding the rapier in her hands. "It's done!" She handed the rapier back to Aigis. Aigis examined her rapier for a brief moment before sending it to her inventory.

"Alright," Lisbeth pointed to Minato. "It's your turn now Blue-kun."

"Blue?" Minato asked. He shrugged it off. "That's probably the best nickname I've ever had."

"What about Minato-ninja?" Aigis pouted.

Minato ruffled her hair. "Haha. You only used it that one time, Aigis."

Aigis blinked. "Ah. That is correct."

Asuna and Lisbeth giggled at their conversation. Kirito grinned as he brought up his inventory and the «Crystallite Ingot» materialized in his hand. He threw it over to Minato and then he gave it to Lisbeth. Lisbeth's eyes widened.

"Another one Kirito?"

"Yup. Could you reinforce it also?" he said sheepishly.

Lisbeth gave out a long sigh.

* * *

Lisbeth emerged from her workshop with an aqua-colored blade in both of her hands. Its grip was a darker color than the rest of the blade and it was completely straight. At the center of the guard was a large aquamarine gem. "It took awhile, but I reinforced it to +40. It's pretty much like yours Kirito. This time, however, it took 45 out of 50 reinforcements," she said sadly.

"That's fine Lisbeth." Kirito smiled. "Thank you."

Lisbeth handed the newly made «Dark Repulser +40» to Minato. "Wow," he said in amazement with sparkles in his eyes, like he just tasted something better than the Hagakure special. "This looks durable and amazing!" Minato made some quick slices and jabs in the air to test it out. He then held up the blade in front of him, grinning widely. "This is perfect! Thank you Lisbeth-san," he said as he bowed in front of her.

The blacksmith blushed. "N-no need to thank me Blue-kun! I'm just happy I could be of assistance." She rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.

Minato was still smiling. "I guess that's everything, right?" he asked.

"Yeah I think that is everything," Kirito answered. "Thanks again for everything Lisbeth. We're going to help Aigis-san level up more on the 47th Floor."

"Ok," Lisbeth replied. "Bye then!" She waved goodbye as the group left her shop.

* * *

**Aincrad: 47th Floor**

* * *

"Wow..." Minato said aloud.

"Indeed. This floor is beautiful," Aigis agreed.

The 47th Floor of Aincrad consisted of many grassy plains and flowers as far as the eye can see. The sun of Aincrad had already began to set. Because of its geography, it was nicknamed the «Flower Garden». Many players, mainly couples, populated this floor in the settlement of Floria. The group was standing in the plaza.

"Alright," Kirito said. "We're going to have Aigis party up with Asuna and I. Minato, since you're a special case, just stay close by to us." He assumed that Minato couldn't bring out his menu since he summoned his «Anneal Blade» before without one. Without a menu, you couldn't really party up.

"Right," Minato agreed.

"Ok! Then let's-"

"Kirito-kun!" a feminine voice shouted from behind the group.

"Huh?" Kirito and co. turned around. They saw a small, pig-tailed girl with brown hair and red armor running happily towards them. Next to her was a light blue dragon that was smaller than her, almost about the size of a puppy. "Oh! Hey there Silica! I see that Pina is back!"

The girl named Silica smiled as she approached Kirito. "Yup! That Pneuma Flower revived her! What are you doing back on this floor?"

"I was just helping a friend of mine with leveling up. She's pretty new to «SAO»," he explained.

"Oh." Silica looked towards Kirito's group. She didn't recognize any of them. "I'm Silica," she introduced herself. "And this is my friend Pina." The dragon named Pina perched itself on her shoulder.

"Hi Silica! I'm Asuna." She waved happily at her.

"My name's Minato. It's nice to meet you." He said with a small smile. He was almost reminded of Maiko, a young girl Minato played with sometimes in the past.

"My name is Aigis. It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Silica-san."

"Sugoi! You have a lot of cool friends Kirito-kun!"

"Haha... I sure do. What are you doing here by the way Silica?" Kirito asked.

"Oh! I live on this floor now! I loved seeing this place when we came to get the Pneuma Flower, so I decided to live here!"

"Nice choice!" Kirito complemented. "We were about to go gain some experience for Aigis. Do you want to come along with us?"

Silica shook her head. "I'm sorry Kirito-kun." She then yawned while covering her mouth. "I spent the entire day training with Pina so I was about to go to sleep early today."

"Oh I see," Kirito smiled and then patted Silica on her head. "Goodnight then Silica."

Silica blushed. "Y-yes! G-goodnight Kirito-kun! Goodbye Kirito-kun's friends!" She waved goodbye to them and left.

"It was nice seeing her again," Kirito said.

"She's a nice kid. But so young too," Asuna commented.

"Yeah, but she's held up pretty well. Ok let's go!"

* * *

Many hours later.

Night had fallen on the 47th Floor. An exhausted Minato and Kirito were sprawled out on a grassy field, looking towards the dark sky.

"Holy crap I'm tired..." Minato muttered.

"You and me both man... Your «Dark Repulser +40» made you a lot more powerful." Kirito added.

Asuna and Aigis were standing above them; Asuna was panting slightly while Aigis looked a bit tired.

"We did accomplish a lot today though," Asuna said.

"Yes. I managed to reach the level of 30 with everyone's assistance. Thank you all!" Aigis cheered.

"No problem Aigis-san," Kirito said while lying on the grass, giving a thumbs up.

"You're our friend after all. Me and Kirito managed to gain some experience too." Asuna smiled.

"Anything for you, Aigis." Minato smiled while looking at her. Aigis blushed, but then her gaze turned serious.

"I hear people approaching our location."

Minato and Kirito stood up. In front of them was a group of players walking towards them, talking to each other. Some were in red or orange armor. One of them was walking in front of the rest. He had red hair and was donning a red headband over it.

Kirito raised an eyebrow. "Is that? Hey!" He waved to them.

The player in front of the group noticed the «Black Swordsman» waving to them. "Hey! Kirito!" He began to run towards him.

"Do you know him?" Minato questioned.

"Yeah. His name is Klein. He was one of my first friends in «SAO». He helps out on the front lines along with his friends behind him," Kirito explained.

"That's cool," Minato said.

The redhead approached Kirito's group with a big grin on his face. "What's up Kirito? Whatcha doing on a lower floor?"

"I could ask you the same thing Klein."

"Oh." Klein pointed back to his group behind him. "Well my guild and I decided to wander around each floor. We had nothing else better to do other than train, so we just decided to explore and help other players if we see that they need help."

"Ha. That's very nice of you Klein."

Klein nodded his head in agreement before noticing Minato and the two girls. "Hello again Asuna! Who are your friends here?"

"Hello Klein," Asuna greeted. "Their names are Minato and Aigis."

Klein smiled at Minato. "Hi there Minato. I'm Klein."

"Nice to meet you," Minato greeted.

Klein then turned to Aigis. "And hello beautiful," he said in an attempted suave tone.

Aigis tilted her head. "Hm?"

Before Klein could say anything else, Minato appeared between the two so fast that Kirito didn't even see him move. Minato was wielding «Dark Repulser +40» in his hand. "Back off Klein. She's mine." He said with a sadistic smile.

Aigis blushed and Klein broke out in a cold sweat. "A-ah! I-I didn't mean anything by it Minato!" He pleaded as he bowed.

Minato smirked. Klein kind of reminded him of his friend Iori Junpei. Just not as perverted. "Don't worry Klein. I forgive you."

Klein laughed nervously. "Heheh..."

Asuna giggled into her hand. Kirito found the altercation rather amusing. He then cleared his throat. "Anyways, we were just helping Aigis-san level up. We managed to level her up to level 30 from level one since this morning."

"Damn that was fast!" Klein commented. "I guess I expected nothing less from «SAO»'s top players! Well, me and my friends are starting to get tired wandering around, so we're going to go to sleep. I'll see you guys later!" He waved goodbye as he went back to his friends who were watching from afar.

Kirito's group also waved farewell. "I think it's also time to hit the hay," Kirito spoke up. "It's been a long day today."

Minato sighed in relief. "Yes!" Everyone else laughed.

* * *

**Aincrad: 22nd Floor: Kirito and Asuna's Forest Home**

* * *

Minato was lying on his and Aigis' bed, his arms crossed behind his head. He was already in his pajamas.

"I'm glad we were able to make you stronger Aigis," Minato said. "Getting the hang of this now?"

"Indeed," Aigis replied, right next to Minato on the bed. "I was able to save all data from today's events into my memory banks."

"All the fighting tactics huh?"

"Yes, and Kirito-san's and Asuna-san's friends."

Minato smiled. "Yeah. They're good people. Despite all of this time being in «Sword Art Online», they still carry on, remaining positive and strong-willed. It's really admirable."

Aigis nodded in agreement.

Minato let out a final yawn before closing his eyes. "Goodnight Aigis."

"Goodnight Minato."

* * *

**?**

* * *

_"Onii-chan? Are you going to leave?"_

_"If I do, then it's probably not by choice..."_

_"Please don't leave me onii-chan..." *sniff*_

_"Don't worry. If I do leave, I promise we'll see each other again."_

_"Y-you promise?"_

_"Promise..."_

* * *

Version II

A/N: Chapter 5 is out! Damn. I missed my deadline. Stupid schedule slips. I blame myself for missing it. Better late than never right?

So, maybe some of you won't agree with me skipping combat tutorials. As much as I would like to, it sounds really tedious writing out the tutorials. If it bothers some of you, please tell me. I'll add in scenes with Aigis learning how to fight.

Due to a very convincing argument from a reviewer, I adjusted Aigis' level at the end to 30 instead of 50!

I decided to introduce every one of Kirito's and Asuna's friends for Minato and Aigis to meet. It felt necessary! Now what will happen? Find out next time on the next exciting chapter of Ghost In the Machine!

As always, thanks for reading and reviews are appreciated!

Question: Should I give Minato some «Sword Art Online» armor? If so, what should it look like?

Also, props to those who know what reference I made with Minato jumping off of the pillar he made with Nilfheim!

Reviewers

KO: Not sure yet. Let's just see what the future holds!


	6. Another Side

**Ghost In the Machine**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Another Side**

**A/N: Before we start things off, I'd like to introduce someone very special.**

**I'm proud to present my newest beta reader for this story! Her name is Hayashi Yuuki! **

**Say hi to the readers Yuu-chan!**

**"Erm... Hi?" *draws circle in a corner***

**Aww don't be shy now Yuu-chan! *pats head***

**Now that the introductions are over, let's get this story started!**

* * *

_"I'd rather trust and regret, than doubt and regret." - Kirito_

* * *

**October 27th, 2024**  
**Aincrad: 22nd Floor: Kirito and Asuna's Forest Home**

* * *

Minato's eyes snapped open. Remnants of tears were dwelling on the edges of his eyes.

"Another unusual dream..."

The dawn of a new day was near in the virtual world of «Sword Art Online». Wiping off his tears with his arm, Minato turned his head to his right and found Aigis resting peacefully in her sleep. She hadn't awakened despite Minato uttering some words aloud. She had her mouth opened slightly to which Minato smiled and brushed her hair with his hand. She looked so cute. The blue-haired boy then stared at the ceiling of his room, contemplating these reoccurring and odd dreams.

_'What's with these dreams? I can't make out who those voices belong to other than mine...'_ Minato thought.

_[I don't know about you, but the dream from yesterday made me ecstatic.] _

_'Oh. Hey Satan. I haven't heard from any of you guys yesterday. Why does that nightmare make you feel giddy by the way?'_

_[You were busy with your friends and we really had nothing to talk to you about. Anyway, that dream reminded me of **that**. Those screams were music to my ears.]_ Satan said joyously.

_'Quite the sadist, aren't you? I can understand though. As long as the victims were assholes. At least I hope the people screaming were assholes.'_

_[True that.]_ Thanatos chimed in.

Brushing through his blue hair with his hand, Minato let out a sigh as he decided it was best to not think about things that were so elusive. He had to focus on the present. Right now, with innocent adolescents and adults dying on a daily basis in «Sword Art Online», fighting for survival was his main objective. It wasn't just his life he was fighting for. No, Minato desired freedom for everyone.

Ever since **that**, it was all he cared about. At least, that was the idea before he met Kirito and Asuna. In addition to Aigis, those three reminded him he wasn't alone in this. He had friends who could and would fight and support alongside him.

Rising from his bed, Minato decided that he needed to clear his mind.

* * *

**Aincrad: 22nd Floor**

* * *

"There's just that certain something you can't get anywhere else," Minato said with a smile. He was still in his blue shirt and black boxers. He didn't really want to change out of them. They were pretty comfortable. Minato was currently wandering through woods on the 22nd Floor. He didn't see any players on the way from his friends' abode; he believed that most were still asleep as the sun had yet to rise. "I should go for a walk in the woods in the real world when I get out of this game. Living in a modernized area like Tatsumi Port Island all the time can get rather dull. No wonder Kirito and Asuna-san decided to live out here."

Stopping for a moment, Minato gazed at his surroundings. "It's amazing how a virtual world could produce such beauty. It has its own charm that people could easily enjoy." Even though Kayaba was delusional, Minato had to admit that the guy truly was a genius for creating «Sword Art Online». If it wasn't for his deranged desire to control his own world, this game could have been highly praised for its designs and mechanics. All of that was for naught because it became the worst nightmare of many.

While he was gazing at the sky, Minato felt a shiver run down his spine. He felt that he had a similar feeling before. _'This seems familiar. Where do I know this from? Wait. This reminds me of that trip to Yakushima!'_ Minato now remembered. This mysterious feeling... felt like those times when Aigis was watching him from a distance. It bothered him when he didn't know who was watching him. He was slightly relieved when he realized it was a pretty girl who did the deed.

_'Focus,'_ he internally commanded. Closing his eyes, Minato focused on sounds of his surroundings. There was absolute silence. But one step from his potential stalker, and Minato will unleash the god of death on them. Hearing nothing, Minato then opened his eyes. Looking all around him and even upward, Minato couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

A few moments later, the mysterious feeling disappeared.

"Hmph. I guess they're gone," Minato concluded. "...For now." He wondered if he'll get this feeling again if he came back to this area. He wasn't sure if he wanted to though. Aigis was unexpectedly "normal," but he didn't know if the same could be said with this unknown person once more.

Shaking off his thoughts, Minato turned back and started walking back to his friends' home. "Maybe if I wasn't alone, perhaps. Whatever. I should head back before Aigis creates a full-blown search party."

* * *

Minato arrived at Kirito and Asuna's wooden home before the couple even woke up. Aigis, on the other hand, was mumbling Minato's name on their bed. Her arms were unconsciously reaching out for presumably his body. Minato smiled at the thought of being her body pillow.

_[Hahahaha... Oh yeah...]_ Orpheus Telos said slyly.

Minato smirked at Orpheus Telos' comment. What? He was a guy. How long has it been since he was in Aigis' company? He didn't know, but he also didn't care. He didn't look a day older since he last saw her. He was incredibly grateful that he was with her again.

After staring at Aigis for a little bit, she woke up. Rubbing her eyes, she saw Minato standing at the door. "Good morning Minato!" Aigis said happily.

Minato returned her greeting with a warm smile. "Morning, Aigis. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes," Aigis replied, her eyes avoiding Minato's. Considering what he saw not too long ago, Minato could make a pretty good assumption about what she was dreaming about.

"So," Minato continued. "What do you want to do today?"

Aigis made eye contact with Minato. "I would like to continue leveling up and practicing my skills. But not today. I ran everyone, including you, ragged yesterday. I believe we should rest for a day before we begin anew." While Aigis did care about becoming more powerful, she also cared about her new friends', and Minato's, well-beings. It was one part of her that Minato loved so much.

"If that's what you want, then sure," Minato said. "Let's ask Kirito and Asuna-san what we should do today when they're up."

"Ok," Aigis agreed.

* * *

**October 30th, 2024 **  
**Aincrad: 22nd Floor**

* * *

For the past few days, Aigis kept training nonstop in «Sword Art Online». She was determined to become strong enough to survive and protect Minato. Along with Kirito, Asuna, and Minato, she fought several enemies on the various floors of Aincrad. Unless she needed assistance, Aigis fought alone in order to boost her sword skills and to gain more experience. When the going got tough, the others jumped in to intervene. As of now, Aigis had reached level 50.

Today was another break session for the group. Kirito suggested going for a walk to clear everyone's minds. No fighting today unless they can't help it.

"Where are we going?" Asuna asked.

"You're just gonna have to wait 'til we get there to find out," Kirito answered. Kirito was leading the group on their walk while Minato and Aigis walked behind them, taking in the sights while holding hands. Asuna managed to convince Kirito to carry her on his shoulders, stating that it was only them and Minato and Aigis there.

"Do you want to do the same Aigis?" Minato asked.

Aigis smiled brightly. "Ok."

Minato carried Aigis on his shoulders after she got on. She was lighter than Minato expected. It could be the fact that her real life weight wasn't the same as her in-game weight, otherwise Minato would have fallen quickly. Aigis seemed to be enjoying herself like Asuna. The two couples passed by the lake where Minato and Kirito had their duel a while ago. There were players fishing there, unlike last time. The fishing players noticed the two couples and waved at them. Kirito felt embarrassed and he immediately dashed off, with Asuna clinging tighter to him. "Haha. It's kind of funny how Kirito is so shy about this." Minato smiled at the «Black Swordsman»'s embarrassment. What was there to be ashamed of? "They're married after all. I don't think he should feel this way." Minato then picked up the pace as Kirito and Asuna were leaving him and Aigis in the dust.

* * *

"Oh there you two are," Kirito said to Minato and Aigis who were just arriving. They caught up to the newlyweds, and they were now walking within a grove. Asuna, who was still on Kirito's shoulders, was holding on to a branch of some sorts. "Have you guys heard the rumor?" Kirito inquired.

"What rumor?" Asuna asked.

"I heard this weird rumor in the village yesterday about how you go deep enough into the forest, you'll see... them."

Aigis got off of Minato's shoulders. "Huh? See who?" Asuna questioned.

Kirito smiled darkly. "Ghosts."

"Y-you mean like those in-game astral type monsters, right?" Asuna stuttered.

"No. Not those. Real ghosts."

"Heh!?" Asuna squeaked in panic.

Minato smirked. _'I hope this will be better than Junpei's 'Believe It, or Don't,''_ Minato thought to himself. Aigis seemed neutral about hearing the rumor.

"They say that tortured souls of the monsters hunted here... come back to wander the forest at night."

A snapping sound was heard. Asuna twitched in response.

"We're almost there..." Kirito said.

"T-the place the rumor mentions?"

"About a week ago," Kirito continued, "a carpenter hiked into the forest to get some wood for a project. He stayed so long that before he knew it, it was night. As he walked along, he caught a glimpse of something white standing by a tree."

Asuna could only imagine the fright the carpenter felt. "Now there are two ghosts in «Sword Art Online»?" The rumored "Ghost In the Machine" was supposed to be incredibly dangerous and elusive. This new ghost didn't sound quite as tough or even hard to find since it supposedly wanders just this forest. Even so, the new ghost sounded scary to her.

"Two?" Minato asked. He didn't recall hearing anything like that during his time in «Sword Art Online». "What was the first one about?"

"O-oh! Uhh... To be honest, I can't remember," Asuna lied. She thought it could be possible that Minato wasn't related to the rumors. But she also thought it could be the opposite. Kirito glanced at her in confirmation. They still didn't know a whole lot about Minato. Though whether or not he is the rumored "Ghost In the Machine," they knew that Minato was a great person.

"Huh. Oh well," Minato said, brushing aside his curiosity. He turned towards Kirito. "By the way, why are we even here in the grove in the morning if the ghost is supposed appear at night?"

Kirito chuckled. "I thought taking you guys into the forest would have improved the effect of the rumor more. So," he started to speak in a dark tone once more, "was it a monster? Or something else? The white figure slowly walked towards some trees..."

Minato's eyes narrowed. _'Wait. Wasn't this where I had that mysterious feeling?' _

"Ahhhh!" Asuna started screaming.

"Asuna-san?" Aigis asked with worry.

"IwannagetdownIwannagetdown!" Asuna then quickly got off of Kirito's shoulders, hiding behind his back instead.

Asuna was shaking. She pointed in front of her with her hand."I-It's over there..."

"What are you talking about?" Kirito asked. The boys and Aigis looked to where Asuna was pointing, curious as to why she seemed so frightened. Their eyes widened in shock. "You've gotta be kidding me..." Kirito's jaw dropped.

In front of them was a little girl in a white dress walking from the right. Her hair was long and black. Was she the ghost? The girl then stopped moving.

Minato felt a sudden pain in his head when he looked at the girl. "What?" he muttered. He quickly placed a hand on his forehead. _'What's this feeling? Why does my head hurt?'_

The girl turned her head towards them. The group couldn't see her eyes. They were all tensed up, afraid of what might happen next.

The girl then collapsed.

Kirito took a moment to examine the situation. "Hold on?" He began running towards the 'ghost.' "That's not a ghost!" It was just a little girl. He grabbed her body, trying to find any type of response. "She appears to be unconscious," he declared. _'This is reminding me of how we met Minato.'_ The situation felt way too similar to how Kirito and Asuna met Minato. Both he and this girl were unconscious and they just happened to be found by the couple when they were going about their business. This was a strange turn of events in their lives. How often does one find random unconscious people just like that?

"It's... another player," Asuna deduced.

"Yeah, but there's something really strange about her," Kirito said.

"What do you mean?" Asuna asked.

"She doesn't have a cursor, like Minato." _'This is really starting to remind me of Minato now.' _

Asuna took a second to check the girl out. Sure enough, there was no player icon. "Maybe it's some kind of bug like with Minato?"

"Yeah. Maybe it is." Kirito concluded.

"What's a little girl like this doing playing «SAO»? ...I guess we'll find out when she wakes up, though we can't just leave her out here 'til she does. Let's take her home with us," Asuna stated.

"Yeah. Okay." Minato and Aigis nodded in unison. Kirito picked the little girl up in a bridal fashion and the group went back to the forest home.

Minato was looking at the young girl skeptically along the way. Something about this girl was troubling him. What it was, he didn't know. He didn't know who this girl was, but he couldn't get rid of this mysterious feeling. _'Do I know you?'_

* * *

**Aincrad: 22nd Floor: Kirito and Asuna's Home**

* * *

The little girl was placed on one of Kirito and Asuna's bed in their room. Kirito and Asuna were sitting on the bed next to the little girl's. Minato and Aigis stood in front of it.

"Well, one thing's for sure. She's not an NPC. We didn't have any trouble moving her here." Kirito stated.

"Yeah that's true," Asuna agreed. "She can't be that. If she were, she would have given off a warning when you picked her up, like other NPCs."

Kirito nodded. "You're right. And she's definitely not a quest giver either. Our quest log would have been updated as soon as we interacted with her. She has to be a player, just like Minato. She had probably been out there for a while, wandering around lost. That's the most likely scenario."

Aigis frowned slightly when Minato's name was mentioned.

_'A bug? I don't even know how I ended up in «Sword Art Online».'_

"Yeah, but what was she doing out there?" Asuna questioned.

Kirito shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. But she has to have a parent or guardian out there, right?"

Asuna nodded. "She had to have logged in with someone from her family. I just hope they're safe..." Asuna said with worry. "Hey... Do you think she'll wake up?"

"Yeah," Kirito replied. "If her body hasn't disappeared, that means signals are still being transmitted from her NerveGear. She's in some kind of sleep mode, like when we found Minato at our doorstep. I'm sure she'll wake up soon. And the sooner the better..."

"Yeah..."

* * *

**October 31st, 2024**

* * *

A day had passed since the group found the mysterious girl who collapsed in the forest. Minato, being the early bird that he is, woke up before the others again and was keeping watch over her. He sat cross-legged on the floor beside her bed. She had yet to wake up since the encounter. Kirito and Asuna were sleeping next to each other on the spare bed. Aigis was on the floor sleeping beside him. So far, nothing had changed for the past few hours. _'How long can she sleep?'_ he wondered. _'Will you ever wake up?'_

As if she was reading Minato's mind, the little girl moved a little. Then her eyes opened, revealing their bright black color.

"Hey guys," Minato called out when he noticed this. "Wake up! She's awake now!" Kirito and the girls stirred awake albeit feeling groggy. They turned their attention towards the girl who was waking up.

"Hey there. Are you feeling fine?" Minato asked in a calm voice.

The girl blinked a few times, probably adjusting to being conscious again. She looked around her, confused at the change of scenery Minato assumed. She then looked towards Minato.

She gasped loudly.

"Is something wrong?" Minato cocked an eyebrow. _'Did I do something to her?' _

"...O-onii-chan?" the little girl spoke finally. Her voice was filled with uncertainty and surprise.

Minato blinked. "Huh?"

"Onii-chan!" the little girl immediately ran forward and hugged Minato, crying and sniffling into his chest. "Waaaaah! Onii-chan!"

"EH!?" Asuna and Aigis shouted with confusion.

"What!?" Kirito exclaimed.

Minato was absolutely stunned. He didn't know what to make of this situation. Who was this girl? Why was she calling him her "onii-chan?" Minato was sure he didn't have any blood siblings. He immediately pushed his confusion aside. The important thing now was to comfort this young girl ."Hey don't cry." He returned the hug. "It'll be alright," he said in an assuring voice.

"I-I missed you onii-chan," the girl said, sniffling. Though he wasn't sure why she thought he was her onii-chan, Minato played along for the sake of making her feel better. He always had a soft spot for kids.

Kirito and the girls were staring at Minato and the little girl, not even sure what to think. Minato ignored them. "There there..." he whispered, patting her head. "Onii-chan's here for you..." The black-haired girl was starting to calm down. He then glanced towards the others with a look that said 'I seriously have no idea what's going on.'

* * *

"I'm happy I found you, onii-chan." The young girl was now in a slightly better mood. She was clinging on to Minato's arm possessively. Minato didn't mind though.

"Do you remember what happened to you?" Asuna asked the little girl.

The girl shook her head, signifying that she didn't know.

"Ok. How about your name?"

"My... my name is... I think my name is... I think... Yui."

"Yui?" Minato asked.

"That's it. Yui."

"That's a cute name," Asuna commented. "Nice to meet you! My name's Asuna!" She looked towards Aigis. "This is Aigis." Aigis smiled. "This is Kirito." Kirito smiled at Yui. Asuna then gestured to Minato, "and as you already know, this is your onii-chan, Minato." Minato smiled at Yui also.

"A...una? Ai...is? Ki...to?" Yui attempted to say their names, but it seemed to be hard for her to pronounce. "Mi...na...to?" She was, however, able to say Minato's name. It caught everyone off guard.

"Huh... that's weird. She said mine just fine," Minato said, surprised. "If I'm being honest, it sounds about as hard as saying Kirito."

"Yeah that is weird..." Asuna acknowledged before focusing on Yui again. "Try to remember. What were you doing in the forest, and do you know where your mom and dad are now?"

Yui didn't say anything for a few seconds. She was thinking. "I-I don't know. I-I can't remember anything... except onii-chan..."

Everyone was shocked. A young girl like Yui in «Sword Art Online», without her memories? It was far too dangerous for someone like her to be left alone. How did she know Minato too? Minato didn't seem to recognize Yui at all. Was she just confused?

"Well," Kirito began, "you're awake. Can I call you Yui?" Yui nodded. "Okay. Then you can call me Kirito. Can you say Kirito?"

"Ki...to?"

"It's Kirito," he repeated himself. "Ki-ri-to."

"Uhm... Kito?"

Kirito patted her head. "That's okay. Maybe it's a little hard. How about you call me whatever's easy for you."

Yui thought for a moment before speaking again. "Daddy..."

Kirito pointed a finger at himself questioningly. "M-me?"

Yui turned to Aigis. "Aiis is... onee-chan."

"Hm?" Aigis tilted her head in confusion.

Yui turned to Asuna. "Auna is... mommy."

Asuna was taken aback by Yui's nickname. Yui looked at her with an adorably shy look in her eyes.

Asuna melted.

"Okay," Asuna said in affirmation. "I'm mommy. That works."

Yui's face beamed in happiness. "Mommy! Daddy! Onee-chan! Onii-chan!" Everyone smiled warmly at Yui. Despite her memory loss, they were able to make something out of this situation. Her affection and personality were so cute!

Asuna laughed lightly, picking Yui up. "You must be hungry! How about breakfast?"

"Okay!" Yui replied happily.

* * *

Asuna left for the kitchen to prepare lunch for everyone. Kirito and Aigis went with her also. Aigis wanted to practice her cooking skills as well. Kirito just wanted to see what Asuna was going to make. Minato and Yui sat on one of the couches in the wooden home, waiting for lunch.

"Are you excited for your mommy's food, Yui?" Minato asked. He was sure she would love her mommy's cooking.

"Uh huh," Yui nodded eagerly. She smiled brightly at Minato. Then she began to stare at Minato with an odd look on her face.

"...Is something wrong Yui?" Minato wasn't sure if something was wrong with him.

"Onii-chan?" Yui asked.

"Yes Yui?"

"Why are your eyes like that?"

"...Huh?" Minato asked, completely confused by Yui's question.

"Your eyes onii-chan... they're not... golden..."

* * *

**Omake: The Longest Wait**

* * *

**October 27th, 2024  
Aincrad: 22nd Floor: Kirito and Asuna's Forest Home**

* * *

When Kirito and Asuna woke up, they found Minato and Aigis conversing with each other in the kitchen. The two noticed the newlyweds and told them about what they wanted to do for the day. After some pondering, Asuna suggested going to a restaurant because of some rumors about the cook being excellent in making food. Kirito later realized she was talking about Algade House, a restaurant located on the 50th Floor of Aincrad. Apparently, the two went there before with someone else some time ago. The married couple wondered if the chef was an NPC or a player. Kirito, strangely, was not able to drop the topic. He wanted to confirm whether or not the chef was a player. When Minato asked what Algade House served, Kirito said they served ramen and some other things.

At the mention of ramen, the blue-haired boy was immediately sold on going.

* * *

**Aincrad: 50th Floor: «Algade»**

* * *

The Algade House didn't look very impressive. It was small, there was a counter, and there were two four-seat tables that looked as if they could break at any moment if a breeze just blew by. From the bare concrete floor to a sign curtain hanging over a sliding door, everything about the restaurant seemed rather... cheap. Despite the inexpensive decor, the group decided to stay to try to resolve their suspicions.

Well, everyone except Minato. He was more in it for the food.

* * *

"Well, looks like Asuna-san's down."

"So is Aigis-san."

Asuna and Aigis were both unconscious at their table. The girls both lost consciousness after eating five bowls of food that included ramen and okonomiyaki; the food didn't look like regular ramen and okonomiyaki however.

Kirito and Minato were on their eighth bowl of food. Kirito and Asuna decided that one way to flush out the chef's identity was to exhaust all of his ingredients for the food. They kept ordering for more once they were done with their current meals. If the cook was a player, he would have to leave and get new ingredients. If he was an NPC, his food supplies would be infinite. Why they didn't just outright ask the chef about being an NPC or a player, Minato didn't know. He mainly wanted to taste the food. Speaking of which, Minato thought the food was manageable, tasting about as good as Fuuka's cooking once she got the hang of making food. It wasn't anything fantastic like the Hagakure special, but it was alright. Kirito, on the other hand, thought the food was horrible. Not horrible enough, apparently, since he kept eating the stuff.

"You alright Kirito?" Minato asked with chopsticks in his hand, about to eat his eighth bowl of ramen. "You don't look so good."

Kirito was swaying side to side, his eyes looking heavy. "I'm not sure how much more I can handle," Kirito groaned. He was looking at Minato incredulously. The blue-haired boy appeared to be perfectly fine. "Damn. Your stomach is a bottomless pit Minato. How do you eat so much and keep that thin figure of yours?"

Minato shrugged. "Not sure. It was like this in the real world too. No matter how much I eat, I somehow manage to maintain this, as you say, 'thin figure of mine.' They don't call me the Gourmet King for nothing I guess." He just remembered his given title from one of his friends who enjoyed eating a lot.

Kirito laughed in a defeated tone. "I think I've reached my limit." He brought up his player menu weakly. A small bottle appeared in his hand. In it was a purple liquid. "Use this."

"What is it?" Minato asked, grabbing the bottle. He was unsure of what it could be.

"You'll see..." Kirito's face then hit the table. His arms and the rest of his body went limp.

"Hmph. K.O." Minato said, slightly amused. He removed the cork from the bottle and poured a tiny bit of it on his finger. When he tasted it, his eyes widened. "Soy sauce!" he said with glee. He didn't know it was possible to create soy sauce in «Sword Art Online». Even though the color was odd, it was soy sauce nonetheless. Minato then poured some of the soy sauce into his ramen to make it taste better. Within a few minutes, he finished his bowl with a satisfied smile on his face.

The cook came around to collect the unfinished and finished bowls. He noticed the sauce next to Minato. "Can I see that for a moment?" he asked, pointing to the sauce.

"Sure," Minato complied.

The cook tasted the sauce, his eyes widening. "This... is soy sauce! I never knew it was possible to recreate the taste of soy in sauce in «Sword Art Online»! Ohh this reminds me of my shop in the real world..."

"Ah. You owned your own restaurant?" Minato asked curiously.

"Yup. After everyone got stuck in «Sword Art Online», I decided to open up a restaurant in the game. It was one of my passions in life other than gaming."

"I see." Minato could relate to the cook. He loved food and video games. He then glanced over to his out cold companions, all three still weren't moving. "I'll get these three to wake up so we can leave. Your food was good. I know it must be tough to recreate ramen and other foods in «Sword Art Online»; your attempts were pretty good!"

"Thank you!" the chef replied as he bowed. "Have a good day now!" He waved goodbye as he left for the kitchen.

Minato was now alone. "Ok... Now to deal with these guys. Hey Kirito." He poked him. No response. "Asuna-san?" He poked her. No response too. "Aigis?" He poked her too.

Nothing.

"...Ah shit."

* * *

**A/N: **Yes! I managed to meet my deadline! *fist pumps in an Uncharted 3 fashion* I had a lot of fun writing this chapter too! Thank you once again, Hayashi Yuuki, for being my beta reader! It was far too annoying trying to find one that was interested in both Sword Art Online and Persona. *spins in a rotating chair while laughing maniacally *

So, Yui believes that Minato is her "onii-chan." With a new addition to this "family," what will happen now? Find out next time on the next exciting chapter of Ghost In the Machine!

A lot of you guys in the reviews suggested many awesome types of clothing that Minato could wear in Sword Art Online. It'll take some time to mull over what I want to do, so be patient! *clasps hands together*

As always, thanks for reading and reviews are appreciated!

Question: Should I add song choices to the story so you guys can get a better feel for it? Some may be from the Persona series. Some may be from something else!


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